


Where Footprints Never Go

by Jude_Rigby



Series: Beware Of Darkness [12]
Category: Castle (TV 2009)
Genre: Canada, Crime, Drama, F/M, Romance, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:21:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 161,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29112222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jude_Rigby/pseuds/Jude_Rigby
Summary: On a romantic, winter vacation out of the country, Castle and Beckett discover that murder never takes a break as they find it joining them at their lakeside resort. With the crime close, the two find themselves covertly attempting to investigate before the killer can disappear into the snow covered wilderness. Twelfth in the Beware of Darkness series.
Relationships: Kate Beckett & Richard Castle, Kate Beckett/Richard Castle
Series: Beware Of Darkness [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2006014
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue- Out On The Stage

**Author's Note:**

> Just a note in case anyone might get confused, this story actually goes back to the November before the Epilogue of my story Save The Last Dance For Me (I mentioned the Epilogue being a sneak preview of the second half of the series, which begins with this story). So at this point Julia and Eliza are eight and a half and two and a half years old respectively.
> 
> The title of this story is a lyric from the song Footprints sung by Paul McCartney and written by him and Eric Stewart, from Paul's album Press to Play. The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Unconsciousness Rules by George Harrison, from his album Somewhere in England.

Looking out the window, Eliza looked up at her sister and asked, "Is Daddy there?

"I don't see him," Julia said worriedly.

"He'll be here girls," Beckett said, standing behind them in the lobby of the performing arts theater in Southampton. "He wants to see you compete since this is your first time Julia."

"I hope he makes it," the little girl replied, smoothing out her dress she was wearing for hers and her partner's first dance, which was the Jive.

"He will," Beckett said firmly. She glanced out and then spotted Castle's car going through the parking lot in the distance before she saw him getting out.

"There he is!" Julia told her sister.

"Daddy!" Eliza squealed when he came inside.

"Oof, I guess you two were waiting for me," Castle said as they hugged him at the same time. "Kate, I'm so sorry, but there was an accident and-" he began to say in concern.

"It's alright," Beckett cut him off. "Alexis showed it to me on a traffic app on her phone. For now though, she needs to go backstage."

Seeing Julia's teacher coming into the lobby, Castle nodded and then knelt down, hugging his daughter tightly. "Break a leg sweetheart; I can't wait to see you dancing with Peter."

"Thank you Daddy, I'll do my best," Julia said seriously before he kissed her forehead.

"She's grown up too fast," Castle told his wife when Julia was gone.

"She's only eight, Rick," Beckett said with a slight smile.

"I am two Daddy," Eliza said, making him stop as they had started to walk inside the theater, holding her arms up to him.

"I know you are, and I love you Eliza," Castle said as he put her on his hip. Putting his hand on his wife's back he nodded saying, "Front row seats, nice."

"Alexis got them," Beckett told him.

After greeting his daughter, mother and father in law who were all there, Castle sat with Eliza on his lap as Beckett sat next to him. He took the pamphlet for the show, seeing the date, November 4th, 2017, under the name of the competition. He looked at Julia's name inside and told his wife, "She's actually eight and a half now."

"Still," Beckett replied, smiling at him. "Did you get everything set with Paula?"

"Yeah, she's satisfied with the interview, so we're set," Castle said, as he'd been in the city to go over some things with their agent. He was going to say something else when the room darkened, and he turned his attention to the dance floor in front of them as the emcee for the competition stepped out to the middle with a microphone in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Southampton Ballroom Competition," the man said. "We have six dance partners from dance studios around Long Island, here to compete for first, second and third place. They will be dancing the Jive, the Foxtrot, the Paso Doble and last the Quickstep. We'll begin the show with Daniel Fersen and Anya Alistair from the Bridgehampton Dance Studio."

"Where is Jules?" Eliza asked her parents.

"Shh," Beckett said. "She'll be out soon," she then promised in a whisper. "Just watch the dancing okay sweetie?"

Turning to the two walking out on the stage, Eliza watched them dance, but when the song finished and the two left the floor she said, "Julia is better."

"I agree, but they weren't too bad," Castle said. He laughed when Eliza wrinkled her nose and told her quickly, "You look just like your mom doing that."

The emcee was back on the floor saying, "Next we have Peter Watterson and Julia Castle, from the Hamptons Dance Studio of New York."

Hearing her family cheering as she walked out to the floor, Julia looked at her partner as he was across from her on the dance floor. When the song began, her mind shut out everything but the music, and she began to move, going to Peter as they began to step out in time to the beat before beginning their first kicks and flicks.

Holding her breath slightly; as she knew how nervous Julia was; Beckett held Castle's free hand as their oldest went around the floor with Peter, dancing nearly perfectly to them. When the song finished with Julia being dipped slightly by her partner, they were both applauding as loudly as they could, Castle whistling until they left the stage.

"She did amazingly well," Martha said, leaning over to talk to her son and daughter in law.

"I know, the practice she did at home really helped," Beckett said, nodding.

"Did you like that dance?" Castle asked Eliza.

"Yeah, Julia dances not with me?" the toddler asked, pursing her lips slightly.

"You're a little too small to dance that still," Beckett said, knowing she meant why her sister didn't practice with her. "When you're older she'll teach you I'm sure."

"You want to dance ballet?" Castle asked after waiting for the emcee to announce the next pair.

Shaking her head, Eliza turned her attention to the dance floor, but for her, there was no one as good as her sister. So once the next dance began, she waited impatiently for Julia to come out again.

Stepping out onto the dance floor for their Foxtrot, Julia smiled as she sat on a chair, watching Peter as he got into place a little to her left. As soon as the song began; it was a song she'd suggested to their teacher which was sung by Ringo Starr called _You Belong to Me_ ; she turned her head away from her partner, and once he'd tapped her shoulder she stood, walking away from him before he ran in front of her, allowing them to get into hold and they spun around once before going into a quick box step.

"She's a good actress," Jim commented under his breath to Martha.

"I know, she's a quick learner," she replied smiling in pride.

At the end of the dance, Julia was spun by Peter before she sat on his knee; a move she'd begged their teacher to include since she'd seen Derek Hough end dances like that, and had wanted to do it too since it seemed to fit the song. She could hear her little sister crying out her name in the applause, and her dad's whistle too. Smiling, she waved quickly to them since she could see them in the front row, and then went with her partner backstage to change for their Paso Doble.

"I hope she's ready for this next one," Beckett commented to her husband as they were waiting for the first pair to finish their Paso Doble.

"I wonder why she's so nervous about it," Castle commented.

"Because she knows her grandfather loves Spain so much," Alexis said, leaning over to him. "And because she'll need to really act with this one."

"She's right," Beckett told her husband with a smile. "But she'll be alright," she said, more to herself as she had to wonder how Julia was feeling backstage.

"Okay?" Peter asked, coming over to his partner as she was watching Daniel and Anya.

"Yeah, why?" Julia asked.

"You're using your fan, you only do that when you're scared," Peter told her.

Rolling her eyes Julia told him, "I'm hot, this dress is heavy."

"Do you want to practice the steps a little more?" Peter asked.

"Peter, Julia, come on, it's your turn," their teacher said, coming up to them. "Remember to hold onto the fan Julia, and Peter, remember to point your toes on your spins."

The dance floor was lit by a single spotlight, and standing on the outside of it, Julia was across from her partner before their music began, the _España Cani_. As soon as it did, the spot light widened, and she continued to fan herself after first three bars. When those had completed, Peter strode to her while she was picking up her skirts, and she met him halfway before their dance began.

Watching the two spinning around, Castle felt his wife squeeze his hand tightly when Peter seemed to struggle to stand up after a leg extension, not surprised Julia didn't react to it, only made sure they were in sync. He applauded heavily with Beckett when it was over, and breathed out saying, "That was close."

"Do they lose now?" Eliza asked worriedly.

"They might get some points taken off for that," Beckett replied. "But it shouldn't be too much… at least I hope."

"Okay, so now the Quickstep, which they should do great at," Alexis commented. "She said she was going to be a sailor?"

"They're both dressed as sailors," Castle told her. "Julia doesn't like the costume, but I reminded her that Derek dressed as one when he danced it with Nicole on the show."

"Did that help?" Alexis asked with a smile.

"Not really," Beckett said, smiling briefly, looking at her husband before the next pair began their Paso Doble.

Though Julia didn't really like her costume, she loved the Quickstep, so she was able to forget about that with their steps when she and Peter danced. She hugged him when they finished, since their first competition was over and she could finally relax. It seemed an agonizing wait for the other four pairings to take their turns, and they had a break to let the judges tally their scores before the six pairs were called out.

"We have our results here," the emcee said to the audience. "And in third are Daniel and Anya, congratulations," he said as they two walked up to the woman next to him who handed them two small trophies. "And in second place, Peter and Julia."

Whistling again as he and the others were clapping for her, Castle called out to Julia, "Great job sweetheart!"

Blushing as she went back to stand with the others after getting her trophy, Julia waved a little towards them before the first place pair was announced. As soon as the emcee had finished talking, she rushed to her family, finding herself being hugged and kissed as she laughed to see how happy they were for her. "Did you like the dances?" she asked when they'd finally stopped, except for Eliza, who was hugging her tightly around the waist still.

"They were fantastic," Martha assured her.

"Your Paso Doble was amazing," Jim told her seriously. When she hugged him he said, "You are a great dancer."

"Are you happy?" Eliza asked then, touching the trophy.

"Yeah, very happy," Julia said, nodding her head. "Want to hold it?"

"Actually, why don't you head backstage," Beckett said easily as she quickly took the trophy since it had pointed edges. "And change and we'll go home okay?"

"Okay, I'll come right back," Julia promised before she hurried away.

"So now what will we do since that's over?" Martha asked.

"We were thinking of stopping for linner at Sur La Mer since we'll pass by it," Castle said.

"Also since Julia didn't eat much at lunch," Beckett said.

"By all means, but the girls are aware that we can't eat by the water?" Jim said as Martha nodded in agreement.

"They know," Beckett replied. "Wow, that was fast," she said, seeing Julia coming back out, pulling on her winter coat.

"You have to be when you do costume changes," Martha said, taking her granddaughter's arm and walking with her to the door.

"I guess we're leaving," Castle said. "How did you come?" he asked Beckett as Eliza went to Alexis and Jim.

"In Dad's car, so we'll see how we'll go once we get there," Beckett said. "Since there's too many of us for one."

"It's getting colder," Jim said, picking up Eliza once they were in the parking lot. "Are you warm?"

"Yeah, snow?" the toddler asked hopefully.

"Maybe, but let's hope it'll wait until we're back home okay?" Jim asked. When she smiled brightly and nodded, he kissed her cheek, feeling like he was talking to his daughter at two and a half though she hadn't had hair that shade. "Want to come with me to the restaurant?" he asked Eliza to pull himself out of the past.

"Yeah, Mommy, Daddy?" Eliza asked, looking at them over her grandfather's shoulder.

"Go ahead," Beckett said as they'd reached her dad's car. "Julia, where do you want to go?"

"I'll go with you and Daddy," Julia said, going to them and taking her mother's hand.

"We'll see you at the restaurant," Castle called before he, Beckett and their oldest continued down the row to where his car was. "I was so lucky not to get snow on the way," he told them.

"I know, that way you made it to the show," Julia said, looking at her trophy again.

"Second place is pretty good, especially for your first competition," Beckett said, smiling as she watched her.

"Oh I know, I didn't think we were going to do that good, but I'm happy we got to dance," Julia said. She smiled when her mother kissed the top of her head and slipped into the backseat as she watched her parents talk for a moment outside before getting inside themselves.

"I think," Castle said as he drove out of the parking lot. "That we should celebrate your win sweetheart."

"How?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, what do you mean exactly by celebrate?" Beckett asked, eyeing her husband.

"Dessert," Castle said. "I'll say it's her birthday and get a candle on whatever she picks so-"

"I don't think she wants you to do that," Beckett said, glancing back at their daughter who had blanched a little at that.

"Oh, right, you don't like it when they do that," Castle said.

"Why don't we just get dessert Daddy?" Julia said.

"Better suggestion," Castle told her. "Are you hungry though?"

"Starving," Julia said seriously since she'd barely touched the snack her mother had made instead of lunch.

"Okay, well, we're here," Castle said as he parked at the restaurant. "And looks like your sister is waiting for us."

"I guess she wanted you to be with her," Beckett said with a smile as they got out of the car. She watched Julia hurry to Eliza as Alexis was having a hard time holding her back, and she waited for Castle to come around the car to her before she grabbed his arm. "I wonder," she commented.

"Wonder what?" he asked, watching her.

"If we should really go," Beckett teased him.

"Oh well hey, you want me to cancel our plans then I'll go ahead and do that as soon as we get home," Castle said. When she shook her head he reached down to take her hand, squeezing it gently before they were inside and he was giving his name to the host. The second they were sitting and they had glasses of water; he picked his up saying, "To our little dancer."

Blushing at that, Julia tapped her glass against Eliza's and Alexis' since she was sitting in between them. "I was just glad to dance," she insisted.

"And you danced well," Martha said. "And saying that, you've become quite the actress kiddo. I especially loved your imitation of a Spanish lady in your Paso."

"You taught me," Julia said quickly.

Since they needed to order, Castle couldn't comment on that, but as soon as they were left alone again he said, "She's right mother, remember she asked how you would act aloof with a boy."

"Oh, that's right, but I thought she was trying to do that with a boy at school," Martha said. "Then you are an excellent student darling, you picked it up very nicely."

"You're sure," Jim said, smiling as Julia was smiling herself at her grandmother's compliment. "Peter's just your dance partner?"

"Grandpapa," Julia protested though she was smiling. "I'm sure, he likes dancing too, as much as me."

"She's right, if I thought there was more to their partnership than dancing I would have-" Castle started to say.

"Let them dance," Beckett said simply, giving him a look.

"Of course," Castle said quickly as he knew from her expression he didn't want to continue what he'd been about to say. "So, what's next for you in dance class now you've got this first competition under your belt Julia?"

"We're gonna start learning more dances," the little girl said simply. She smiled when her dad pretended to look confused and she told him, "The Samba and the Waltz."

"You're more excited for the Samba aren't you?" Castle asked. When Julia merely smiled at him he said, "You'll have to tell us if those Samba rolls are as difficult as they always say."

"I will, I just hope we learn those," Julia replied. Eliza was tugging on her hand then and she turned to her as the others started talking to each other.

"So are you set for your trip?" Martha asked her son and his wife.

"I think so," Beckett replied. "Will you be able to come out on the twelfth?"

"I'm giving my students that week off as well as Thanksgiving week," Martha replied, nodding her head.

"Where is it you're heading to?" Alexis asked. "Gram said something about an island, but I kept forgetting to ask you about it when we talked."

"We're going to a winter resort on the shores of Lake Superior," Castle explained. "Michipicoten Island is close to it in the lake, and the resort is pretty much on its own. The nearest town is miles away."

"They're only open November to December and February until March, and tends to be for couples," Beckett added. "They're having a murder-mystery dinner one night, and that's why he wanted to go," she told her stepdaughter, rolling her eyes.

"Plus we haven't had a chance to travel on our own for a while," Castle pointed out though he knew she was kidding. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Can I have something?" Eliza asked then.

"Like what?" Castle asked.

"A moosie," Eliza said with a wide smile.

"I don't think you want one of those honey," Jim told her. "I ran into one once at a cabin when I was younger, very bad tempered."

"We might try to see if we can find a stuffed moose," Beckett said. "But I don't know if we'll find many stores where we're going."

"Kay," Eliza said, still looking pleased.

"If you get one what will you call it?" Castle asked.

"Dunno," Eliza said, shrugging.

"Might I suggest Bullwinkle?" Castle said. When the toddler wrinkled her nose and shook her head he said, "Okay, then I'll let you decide on that."

The food arrived then, and the conversation at the table paused as everyone began to start eating. Soon though, Alexis spoke up, asking her dad and Beckett, "How's the book going?"

"Pretty well, we're a little ahead, which is why she agreed to this trip," Castle said, nodding to his wife.

"That and I wanted a little time off from writing," Beckett mentioned. "I feel like we've been writing too much."

Alexis frowned a little at that as Beckett's dad took their attention, and she looked at her grandmother, seeing the slightly concerned expression on her face as well. She made up her mind then to make sure that she talked to her, and she turned to Julia who she was sitting next to, talking to her about how her internship she was doing for her PhD was going since she'd last seen her.

"They're okay with us going," Beckett was telling her dad. "And Julia told her sister that mommy and daddy needed to have a vacation alone, so Eliza's fine with it. Though they're both telling us they'll miss us the whole time we're gone."

"I'm surprised, you used to hate your mother and I going out for dinner even when you were Eliza's age," Jim told her, a slight smile on his face.

"I don't remember that, but I didn't have Julia," Beckett said, nodding slightly. She was a little surprised when her father looked away at that and she said, "I didn't mind not having a sibling."

"No, I just feel like you were lonely back then," Jim replied.

"I was okay, I had friends, so I wasn't," Beckett said. To change the subject she then asked, "Are you going to be able to come for Thanksgiving?"

"I will, but why are you having it out here this year?" Jim asked since the previous years it had been at his daughter and son in law's loft.

"Because we're coming almost directly from our trip to the house," Castle said. "We get back from our two nights at the bed and breakfast the twenty-second."

"I see," Jim replied. "I was able to get Friday off, and I'll come out on Wednesday evening."

"Stay home now Grandpapa," Eliza said then.

"I think she means from now until Thanksgiving," Martha said with a smile.

"I wish I could Eliza, but I promise I'll be here for the holiday," Jim told her. "I have to work, but I'll call you a few times until Thanksgiving okay?"

Sharing a smile with her husband, Beckett brought up the subject of Alexis' internship, and with the young woman talking a little about what she was doing during that, the family finished up lunch, not including a celebratory dessert which Julia asked about as they were getting ready to leave.

"Later, I promise," Castle said, hugging Julia to him as they left the restaurant, going back out into the chill autumn afternoon.

* * *

"Eliza," Beckett said in a teasingly stern tone of voice, coming to the doorway of hers and Castle's closet. "What are you two doing?"

"Dress!" Eliza cried, her mother's blue shawl over her head. "Pretty Mommy?"

"Very sweetie," Beckett said, picking her up. She smiled when the toddler giggled as the shawl slipped down to her shoulders and she said, "But those aren't really for dress up."

"I told her we could play with my trunk, but she said no," Julia said worriedly as she had her mother's black shawl wrapped around her like a toga.

"It's okay, as long as you played with the shawls," Beckett said, tugging lightly on the shawl to indicate to her oldest to take it off.

"Gram clothes?" Eliza asked.

"She means Gram's shawl," Julia translated for her mother.

"I think that's back at the loft in the city Eliza and I don't think she'd want you to play with it," Beckett told her daughter. She wasn't surprised when the toddler's face fell at that and she was about to speak when footsteps came up to them.

"Why don't you play hide and seek?" Castle asked, smiling as Eliza's head whipped around to look at him before she was holding her arms out to him, opening and closing her hands. "Alexis wants to play with you, she says you two owe her a game."

"You too Daddy," Eliza said.

"Yeah, play with us!" Julia said eagerly.

"What about your mommy?" Castle asked. When Eliza shook her head no he laughed slightly and said, "Okay, then if you'll excuse us love, we have a game to begin."

Beckett shared a kiss with him, not surprised when their youngest patted her cheek before they parted. She kissed the back of Eliza's tiny hand and then took her shawl as Castle took it off of her, folding it to put it away with the black one as they left. When she finished, she headed downstairs, seeing her father and Martha standing in the hallway. "What is it?" she asked, surprised they were standing there since they'd been sitting at the kitchen table having coffee.

"We're trying to see how this game goes," Martha explained. "Richard has been designated it first."

"Interesting," Beckett said with a smile since Eliza usually insisted on that.

"Any reason why you're not playing?" Jim asked, since he'd played with his daughter and granddaughters before and knew she loved to play with her girls.

"Eliza didn't want me to, I think she wants to make sure that he doesn't cheat," Beckett said, going to the family room doorway then, coming face to face with her husband.

"Like I would cheat," Castle scoffed.

"Are they upstairs?" Beckett asked.

"Alexis said it would be better for Eliza if we stayed down here," Castle said. "Since she's not allowed to run down the stairs of course."

"Of course," Beckett said, following him over to the dining room. She smiled as he looked around quickly before opening the door to the credenza. "That's pretty small love," she told him. "Even for Eliza."

"Still," Castle said, going to their office next. He checked first underneath where his chair was, and was about to look at where Beckett's desk chair was when their youngest was flying out of the space, screaming as she bolted outside.

"Not so fast," Beckett said warningly as she hurried after the little girl in the hall. "Thank you," she said gratefully to Martha who had stopped Eliza since she wasn't wearing slippers. "Sweetie," she said, kneeling in front of the little girl. "You know you're not supposed to run like that in your socks, and your daddy has to wait for fifteen seconds before he can try and get you, so let's walk to home okay?"

"It's the couch in the living room," Jim told his daughter as the two started to walk down the hall. When more than fifteen minutes had passed, he went to the doorway of the office and asked, "Okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Castle told his father in law. "Just making sure she gets to the couch."

"They're there Richard," Martha called. "Go look for the other two."

"Right, well, I know where Julia is already," Castle said, going to the kitchen and running behind the island. When the little girl shot out the other side from it he was racing after her. But since she didn't have to turn two corners as he'd had to, she beat him to the couch. "Alright Alexis," he called, starting to go out to the hall. "You're, hey, you didn't even try," he said as she was walking up to him.

"I was laughing too hard hearing you guys," the young woman told him. "So you two want to play again?"

"Play this 'lexis!" Eliza said, having spotted her building blocks while she was sitting on the couch with her sister and mother.

"Probably better I only played it once, I'm getting too old to chase after them," Castle said as he sat down next to his wife.

"You keep thinking that," Beckett said wryly as she patted his hand. When she saw her husband looking at her out of the corner of her eye she merely smiled and said to their youngest daughter, "So what are you making sweetie?"

"Tower," Eliza said simply. "That one?" she asked Alexis.

"Try this one, so we can make it really tall," the young woman told her, handing her another block.

Julia was watching them build, not really helping before she got up and left the room as the others were talking to Alexis and Eliza about their creation. She headed to her room and looked at her trophy on her desk. She didn't really have a place to put it, but she couldn't help set it on an empty, taller shelf of her bookcase, and she was studying it so intently that she jumped a little when she felt her father's hand on her shoulder. "Daddy," she said, turning to him. "You scared me."

"Sorry, I saw you leave and I got a little worried, are you okay?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, just want to try and see how it looks there," Julia said, nodding. When she started to go to the door she wasn't too surprised when her father made her stop and she looked at him saying, "I didn't like hearing what you said to Mommy."

"About being too old?" Beckett said from the doorway. When her husband and their daughter turned to her at the same time she smiled a little as she walked over to them and said, "I saw you leaving love."

"Yeah, I didn't like hearing that," Julia said.

"I was only kidding sweetheart," Castle assured her, hugging her tightly. "I'm not that old."

"You're not," Beckett said, smiling slightly as he was looking at her saying that. "And I think what he meant is that you and your sisters are too fast for him."

"As much as I don't like to admit that," Castle said jokingly when Julia looked up at him seriously. "She's right. But don't worry; I'll be around for a long, long time yet, to chase after you three and to drive your mom crazy when I do that."

"Drive me crazy, it's actually pretty comical to see you doing that," Beckett replied. "Especially since our little girl is a lot faster than you."

"I'm not that fast," Julia giggled, loving them teasing each other. "And I hope you're here a long, long time Daddy."

"I will be," Castle assured her. "Now come back downstairs with us because I'm sure your sister-"

"Mommy! Daddy, come here!" Eliza was crying up the stairs.

"She'll want us downstairs," Castle finished as Julia started to laugh and then bounded out the room. "I'm surprised that worried her," he commented once he and his wife were alone.

"She loves you Rick, and so do I, we don't want anything to happen to you," Beckett said plainly, walking past him easily. "And since you reassured us both about that…" She took his hand then and led him down the stairs so they could rejoin their family.

Walking down the hall after they'd gotten to the first floor, Castle was first to hear the sound of crying and the second after he had, Beckett heard it as well, making them run to the family room where they saw Eliza in Alexis' arms.

"She's alright," Martha said quickly as her son and his wife rushed up to where she and Jim were standing with the girls. "When she was walking back in she fell and hit her tower."

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie," Beckett said as Eliza held her arms out to her. She kissed her temple comfortingly before murmuring, "We can build your tower again, but right now I think it's time for a nap."

"No," Eliza said, sobbing a little still.

"A very quick one," Beckett promised her. "And we'll try before dinner to make that tower even bigger okay?"

Sniffing and drying her eyes with the back of her hand, Eliza finally nodded, smiling a little at the smile her mother was giving her. She closed and opened her hand a few times at the others before Beckett took her upstairs. "Daddy," she said happily as he came with them.

"It'll be a quick nap," Castle assured her as they were standing at the bed in her room. "Since we do want you to sleep tonight. I love you Eliza."

"Love you Daddy," Eliza said, sharing a kiss with him. She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck before kissing her saying, "Love you Mommy, too."

"I love you sweetie," Beckett told her before laying her down. Once she had her covered; Eliza's stuffed horse in her arms; she turned to her husband and took his hand as they headed towards the stairs together to rejoin the others.

As Castle and Beckett had been putting their youngest daughter to bed, Alexis had followed her grandmother to the kitchen and as she was rinsing her mug asked her, "Have you noticed anything different with Dad and Kate?"

"Well, you know it seems like they're not as touchy with one another," Martha replied, keeping her voice low as she didn't want to risk Julia hearing what they were talking about. "You know for a long time they've had no problems showing their affection, holding hands, all of that," she said, gesturing with her hand. "But recently…"

"I wasn't sure about saying, but when I arrived on Halloween; before you got here with Jim, I heard them fighting," Alexis told her.

"Oh… well… was it bad?" Martha asked.

"It was, she was calling him a little boy, and he called her pushy… it scared me because they've always been so happy; Dad especially," Alexis said.

Nodding, as she knew that her granddaughter was as relieved as she was that Castle had seemed to have found the right woman finally, Martha told her, "Why don't we keep an eye on them and while I'm here watching Eliza and Julia, if they've noticed anything they're sure to tell me about any problems."

"I just hope this vacation isn't to try and save their marriage," Alexis commented. "Just for them to have a trip alone."

"We'll see," Martha said, leading her out of the kitchen to rejoin Jim and Julia who were still in the family room.

Upstairs, Castle and Beckett were slowly parting from their kiss, unsure how many that made, since he had pressed his wife against the wall before they could go downstairs.

"Any reason?" Beckett asked, a smile playing across her lips as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Not really, you ever going to stop asking that?" Castle asked with a wide smile. When she merely looked at him, he leaned down, unable to help kissing her again. He kept it a little less passionate than the others before, but it didn't take anything away from it, and he enjoyed it immensely until they parted, pressing their foreheads together.

Beckett knew they needed to rejoin their family, but she couldn't make herself pull away. She initiated the next kiss, feeling his arms holding her even tighter than they already were. She would have been more than happy to let things continue on like that, but there was a soft thud before feet were running out into the hall.

Eliza came out just as her parents were parting hurriedly, looking at her with slightly surprised expressions on their faces. She giggled and said, "Up Mommy, Daddy," hurrying to them.

"How long was that nap?" Castle asked his wife.

"Fifteen minutes, if that," Beckett said in amusement as their daughter jumped into his arms.

"Well, we said it was going to be short," Castle said.

"I'll get her slippers," Beckett said as she was leaning over to share a kiss with Eliza who was pursing her lips.

Heading downstairs, Castle went into the family room to see that Julia was looking at the model plane he and Beckett had given her on her birthday in March. "Hey, can't play with that in the house sweetheart," he said as he handed Eliza to Jim as she had pointed to him before calling to him.

"I know, just looking," Julia said. She then looked from the plane to her dad and smiled when she saw him watching her. "You want to fly it."

"I would love to, but I think your mom might have a problem with that," Castle commented.

"Of course I would, it would be way too easy to knock over a _Lladro_ ," Beckett said as she'd come into the room with Eliza's slippers in time to hear that.

"Yeah, she's right you know," Julia said, pretending to be serious.

"Funny," Castle said, grabbing her and pulling her to him.

"What do we do now?" Julia asked with a laugh as Jim helped her mother get Eliza's slippers on her feet.

"Well, we're going to have _tapas_ for dinner," Beckett said, looking at her watch. "And when I say _tapas_ , I mean some Dim Sum we have leftover from dinner last night. But that's not for another hour or so…"

"Can we play a game on the TV?" Julia asked.

"Good idea," Castle said to his wife.

"Alright, we haven't done that in a while," Beckett said. "But let them pick," she said in a mockingly stern tone of voice to her husband; unaware that Martha and Alexis shared a second concerned glance with one another at that.

"They already are," Castle said in amusement as they looked at the cabinet where their daughters were looking through their selection of games.

"This one," Julia said eagerly, holding up one of the I Spy games they had.

"Okay, get ready to use your eyes," Castle said, pinching Eliza's chin to her giggle before she jumped up and down.

Beckett, sitting on the coffee table behind them, watched as Castle helped Julia and Eliza start the first level, smiling as he read what they needed to find before handing the control to their oldest daughter. When he was sitting next to her she leaned against him slightly as they helped their daughters play.

* * *

Sitting at the kitchen table, Castle was cutting a pork shu mai in half to get it to cool off before he ate one half to make sure it was edible. "Alright, all set sweetie," he said, picking up the other half with the green kids' chopsticks that were for Eliza. "Open," he told her.

"And I have to say where my mommy and daddy's families are from," Julia was saying to her grandfather. "So I have to know where you are from Grandpapa."

"From Ireland," Jim said simply. "And from England and Belgium, so that's easy."

"Okay," Julia said with a smile. "I thought so, but I wanted to make sure. The best thing is we get to make the flags of the countries next to where we write that down."

"When are you going to work on that darling?" Martha asked.

"I don't have to take it until Friday," Julia said. "Daddy said I can start it Monday."

"And what does Mommy have to say about that?" Beckett asked teasingly, sitting down next to her husband with her plate of food.

"Hopefully she agrees," Castle said with a laugh. "Or else I am in trouble."

"I'll work on it a lot on Monday," Julia promised quickly.

"Don't worry, I'm teasing your daddy, you know I like to do that," Beckett assured her. "I know you'll have it done before Friday, so you can start it on Monday. What about homework for this weekend?"

The discussion about Julia's school lasted for some time, before Jim asked about Castle and Beckett's plan to put Eliza into pre-school in January. That went through the rest of the meal, until Castle and Beckett were together in the kitchen, getting the dessert they'd ordered special for their oldest for her first competition.

"I'm really glad you talked me out of putting a saying or anything on this," Castle told his wife as he took the cake out of the box.

"Really, what could we have put without knowing how things were going to go for her?" Beckett asked with a smile.

"True," Castle said simply before he took the dessert to the table. "For you," he said when Julia turned to him and saw the cake.

A smile spreading across her lips, the little girl clapped her hands together and said, "For me?"

"Well, I hope you'll share with us, but yep, it's for you," Castle said.

"As a congratulation for doing so well your very first time competing," Beckett told her as she was taking a picture with her camera of Julia smiling at the top of the cake which had a dance floor and shoeprints in black on it. "We weren't sure what exactly to have on top, but the owner of the bakery suggested that."

"Dancing!" Eliza cried as she pointed to the shoeprints.

"Yeah, that's the Foxtrot," Julia said with a wide smile as she kept her sister from trying to poke the fondant dance steps.

"Okay, want to eat it or should we shellac it and put it in your room?" Castle asked her teasingly.

Laughing slightly, Julia shook her head and told him. "No please, cut so we can all have a piece." She looked at Eliza and then asked, "Can she have some?"

"A little piece," Castle said as he put the first slice on a plate and handed it to Julia.

"Thank you," the little girl said. But she waited until Eliza had a very small piece of cake before she started eating at the same time as her. She then peeled off two shoeprints on the top of her slice and gave one to her sister before they ate them, giggling together as they did.

"Dance after please?" Eliza asked when everyone else had a slice and was eating.

"You want me to show you something?" Julia asked, looking up at her then. She started to laugh before she could take another bite of cake, as her little sister's mouth was smeared with fondant and the cake itself.

"This is why she's having a bath right after," Beckett said, wiping at the little girl's mouth. "Eliza, stay still," she said a little sternly as she was turning her head back and forth.

"Hold on," Castle said, standing up and going to the high chair which was in between Beckett and Julia. He took the napkin his wife had been using, and then wiped their youngest's mouth as much as he could before he kissed the top of her head. "I'm surprised," he told Eliza. "How come you want to dance?"

Pursing her lips, Eliza shrugged a little and then used her fingers to help get another piece of the cake into her mouth along with her fork, getting it covered in the cake, fondant and filling yet again.

"Would you mind if I gave her a bath tonight?" Jim asked, smiling as Eliza was looking closely at her fingers which were the blue color of the fondant that ran along the side of the cake.

"That's up to her," Beckett told him. "Sweetie," she said, getting Eliza's attention as she was smiling at her fingers, wriggling them around a little. "Do you want Grandpapa to give you a bath tonight?"

At her nod, Jim said, "Let me know when you want me to take her."

Waiting for Eliza to finish the last bite of her cake, Beckett took her fork and plate and nodded to her father saying, "Now is good."

"Okay, here we go honey," Jim said as he went to her high chair, lifting her out.

"Can I come and help Grandpapa?" Julia asked eagerly, jumping up from her chair. "Oh… Daddy-" she started to say.

"We'll let you go from clearing the table for this," Castle said.

"This was your celebration, so go ahead," Beckett said, watching her leave.

"I kind of wonder if I'd be that eager to help if you'd had Julia and Eliza when I was younger," Alexis said as she helped her dad and stepmother clear the table.

"I think so," Castle said, starting to wash everything after rolling up his sleeves. "You'd want to do the same thing she does which is just to pass the bottles to whoever's giving the bath. Now though you're old enough to give them the bath," he pointed out to her.

"That's true," Alexis commented as she watched her grandmother go to the family room after pouring herself a little more wine. "I'll be with Gram," she told them since her dad was nearly finished. She walked down the hall before she paused, realizing she wanted to grab her glass of water still on the table, so she turned when she saw the two in the kitchen were talking seriously. When Beckett rolled her eyes at something he was saying, she hurried the rest of the way down to the family room, trying not to be concerned, since she had no idea what they were talking about, hoping that they were just joking with each other as she knew they did. But at the same time she reminded herself that she had to make sure she and her grandmother were worrying about something that was likely nothing while she sat in the armchair next to her.

"Okay, come on honey," Jim told Eliza once the water in the tub was set. He helped her step in and smiled as she squealed as her toes went in first. He helped her sit down and then grabbed the cup that Julia was holding for him, sitting on the edge opposite from him. As he began to wash his youngest granddaughter's hair, he looked at them both, talking to each other about the night before when they'd apparently had a picnic dinner with their parents. It was one of those occasions when he was struck by the fact that as a grandfather he was very lucky. He then leaned over, and pressed a kiss to Eliza's temple since her hair had been rinsed of shampoo, watching her giggle and squirm at the same time.

Julia smiled at her grandfather before he leaned over to kiss her, and she squeezed his arm telling him, "I wish you did live with us Grandpapa, it would be nice."

"I know," Jim told her with a nod as he washed Eliza's body. "But at least I see you two as many weekends and days off that I can get."

"That is good Grandpapa," Eliza said, splashing the water. When he had finished rinsing her off she then stood up saying, "Go!"

"Hold on," Jim said with a slight laugh at her exuberance. He took the towel that Julia handed to him, and he toweled her dry before he dressed her. "Take her downstairs," he told Julia.

"Thank you Grandpapa," Eliza told him before she left the bathroom with her sister. She looked up at her and said, "Now we dance?"

"A little bit, I bet Mommy's gonna say it's time to go to sleep," Julia said.

"And Daddy says no?" Eliza asked her hopefully.

"We'll see," Julia couldn't help giggle softly.

"There she is, all clean now," Martha said as she was the first to notice the two coming into the room.

"She is," Castle said as Eliza ran to him first, throwing her arms around his neck. He kissed her cheek and said, "Are you going to dance?"

"Yeah, come here," Julia said, coming over from her mother's phone where she set a song to play. "We'll dance the Viennese Waltz, 'cause that one you'll get fast."

"Do you say numbers?" Eliza asked, jumping as her sister pulled her to the middle of the room.

Glancing at her dad who appeared in the doorway as the two girls began to turn; Beckett smiled at his smile as he watched his granddaughters. There were times when she felt guilty that they lived so far from the city, but he never complained about the trip, and luckily he understood why they were living in the Hamptons, so she knew the visits he did make were done without any kind of complaint. She turned to Eliza and Julia, feeling Castle's hand taking hers as they watched them, laughing together when Julia dipped her little sister to her cry of surprise. As soon as the song had ended, she clapped her hands as the others did too and said, "Very nice, but now-"

"Time to go to bed," Julia and Eliza said at the same time, sharing a laugh as their mother paused as she was standing up. "We knew you were gonna say that Mommy," Julia explained to her.

"I'm getting to be a predictable mother," Beckett said, looking back at her husband as he followed her.

"No, you are best mommy," Eliza said earnestly as she was gently ushered over to her grandfather by her. She wrapped her arms around Jim tightly and said, "Night Grandpapa, can we play?"

"As much as we can until I go back to the city tomorrow," he promised her. He shared a kiss with her and then hugged Julia as she came up to him. "That goes for you too honey," he told her after they'd kissed.

"I can't wait," Julia said with a wide smile. She followed her sister over to their grandmother, watching her hug Martha before they shared a kiss. "I love you too Gram," she said, hugging her since Eliza wasn't letting her go.

"I love you both my darlings," Castle's mother told him and she kissed their cheeks. "Sweet dreams."

"Oof, you guys are going to knock me back when you get older," Alexis laughed slightly as her sisters ran straight into her arms at the exact same time then. She hugged them tightly as she kissed their cheeks and she quickly shared a kiss with them both telling them, "I love you Lizzy, Jules, very much."

"Love you 'lexis!" Eliza cried.

"Very much too 'lexis," Julia said. As she was walking with her sister to their parents she paused and then said, "Hey, why am I saying goodnight?"

"You have to take a shower," Beckett said simply. "And after that your daddy and I will tuck you into bed."

"Oh, night!" Julia called as she took her mother's hand while Castle picked up Eliza.

"Night, night!" the toddler said, waving at the three over her father's shoulder.

Laughing together slightly, Jim excused himself from the room, saying goodnight to Castle's mother and daughter since he was tired after making an early drive that morning; Alexis and Martha having arrived Friday night.

"I love you Lizzy," Julia was saying to her sister as they hugged in Eliza's room.

"Me too," the little girl told her seriously. She then smiled when the other three laughed and then said, "Love you Jules."

"Okay, I love you sweetheart," Castle said, picking her up and lifting her pajama shirt to blow on her stomach to her wild giggle.

"Rick, she'll be too excited to go to sleep," Beckett said though she was smiling as she spoke.

"Okay, then to your mommy you go," Castle said. He waited until they'd shared a kiss, and smiled when Eliza patted his cheek, telling him, "I love you Daddy," before he kissed her hand and let go so Beckett could set her on the bed.

"And I love you of course sweetie," Beckett said, tucking her in carefully. "We'll see you in morning okay?"

"Kay," Eliza said, yawning. "Love you Mommy," she said sleepily. She kissed her mother, but by the time Beckett went to kiss her forehead, she was out, holding her stuffed horse against her tightly.

"Busy day for her," Castle said as they were walking over to Julia's room. "I think she was as nervous as you were for your competition."

"She's definitely your number one fan," Beckett told their daughter who was blushing slightly.

"I know, I'm glad she loves me so much," Julia said a little shyly.

"Not sure why she wouldn't, you're a great sister," Castle insisted.

"You are," Beckett assured her, not surprised when she turned to her to make sure that was true. "For now, let's get you into the shower."

"I'll be looking over your books," Castle said, watching them disappear into the bathroom. He went over to her wall though as the shower started up, looking at the framed pictures that were on a blank space. There were only a few there so far, but they had been taken by him, Beckett and Julia; as the little girl had wanted to showcase the places they'd been to since San Francisco in 2014. He went to one of the two pictures there, of the Golden Gate Bridge spanning across to Marin County that Julia had taken. There were two from the other places they'd been so far, and he reminded himself they needed to go somewhere great next year for summer before he heard the door opening.

"I'm ready," Julia said hurrying to her father. She hugged him tightly around the neck and murmured, "I love you Daddy, thank you so much for coming to see me dance."

"I had to, my little girl dancing in a competition? I would have flown to the theater if I could," Castle said. When she giggled he then picked her up and shared a kiss with her telling her, "I love you too Julia and I'm really proud of you."

"We'll go to your competitions sweetie," Beckett said, waiting for the little girl to get into her bed. "As many as we possibly can we promise."

"Thank you," Julia said. "I love you too Mommy, so much."

"I love you Julia and I'm proud of you too," Beckett said, smoothing her hair away from her forehead. "Get some sleep, and sweet, sweet dreams my little one."

Smiling, as her mother still called her that though she wasn't quite a little one anymore, Julia shared a kiss with her before she turned on her side, watching them go to the doorway to turn off the lights before they closed the door. She sighed, relieved that things had gone so well that day for all her worrying. Since she'd been so nervous the night before, unable to sleep for some time, she was soon asleep; not quite sure when she'd nodded off, but welcoming her dreams of dancing and high scores as her family cheered for her enthusiastically.

* * *

Coming into the family room, Beckett saw that Alexis was watching Castle, who was still playing his game. She met her stepdaughter's gaze when she turned to her, and rolled her eyes as he was talking to the man in Montana he was playing against that night.

"Come on Robbie, you… hey, you little-" Castle started to say as there was a loud explosion on the screen.

"Castle!" Beckett said as she set one of the two mugs of coffee she'd made in front of him on the table.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Kate," he said, looking up at her. "That's my wife, not my mom," he then said scathingly to his opponent on his headset as the man was ribbing him about living with his mother. "Yes I'm married, you saw my screen name," he said, still playing as he was talking. "Yeah, I'm that Richard Castle. Hey, she's my wife remember," he said sharply as the man; who was only twenty-four; started to say that Beckett looked like a milf.

"I don't know if I want to ask how old that guy is," Beckett said to Alexis.

"Yeah, I don't think I want to either," she replied, shaking her head as the conversation between her dad and whoever Robbie was turned back to the game.

Watching him, Beckett finally had to give in to her boredom and she told her stepdaughter as she stood, "I'm heading up to bed. Goodnight Alexis."

"Night Kate," she said with a smile. She watched then as her stepmother reached over to her father, grabbing the back of his neck and kissing his temple. But when he didn't respond to that, Alexis frowned deeply as Beckett left the room.

* * *

Nearly ten minutes later saw Beckett in hers and Castle's room, curled up in front of the fire with the book she was currently reading, one her father had brought with him that morning. She was immersed in the non-fiction book about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, so it came as a shock when the door opened and her husband stepped in. "Rick?" she asked him as he locked the door behind him.

"Yeah?" Castle asked, looking a little surprised as he glanced at her.

"You had at least ten minutes," Beckett said. "Why did you come up early?"

"Alexis freaked out," Castle said, shaking his head as he walked to his wife. "She said you were trying to get me to leave with you, and that I was being insensitive to you. She's never talked that way to me before."

"Yeah, did you notice both her and your mom acting a little weird as tonight wore on?" Beckett said, tucking her bookmark in between the pages she was on and setting it on the table in front of her as he sat across from her.

"I know, but why?" Castle asked.

"I have no clue," Beckett replied. "Well, if they keep acting that way, then we'll talk to them. But why didn't you tell Alexis about our agreement concerning your video games?"

"She knows about the no violent games until after the girls are well into their deep sleep," Castle said. "But yeah, I should have told her that semi-Vulcan neck pinch is your hint to me that I have about twenty minutes left to go before you come back out to pull the plug." He looked thoughtful and said, "You know she'd be shocked to find out that works and you've never had to go that far."

"I know how to convince you," Beckett said. "Don't tell her about that though."

"Oh, trust me, that stays here in this room between the two of us," Castle told her. "Speaking of that…" he started to say before he reached out to her and pulled her around the table before bringing her onto his lap. "I'm looking forward more and more to our trip."

"So am I, I've never been to Canada," Beckett told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We were supposed to go to Vancouver," Castle said, remembering then.

"We couldn't go with me nearly at the end of my pregnancy," Beckett said with a smile. "I was not going to fly, even if my doctor had approved it."

"Yeah, don't worry, I wasn't going to let you go either," Castle said, his hand on her abdomen. "Funny sometimes to look at Eliza and remember her here, very tiny, only communicating to us by kicks and taps."

"Not really communicating," Beckett said with a smile. "But sweet that you think she was. Love, what exactly will we be doing at this place besides the murder mystery dinner?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Castle told her simply. "Like with our honeymoon," he said quickly when he could tell that she was going to protest that.

Sighing, though she wasn't really annoyed, Beckett then said, "Alright, but will we be able to do any winter sports?"

"I think you can do some, sledding, and snurfing," Castle told her.

"Seriously?" Beckett asked with a laugh.

"You've heard of it?" Castle said though he wasn't too surprised that his wife had.

"Of course, I'm a snowboarder, so I know the origins," Beckett commented. "Though I've never been on the original boards, with ropes."

"I looked it up when I was searching the site, I might try it out," Castle said. "And then gradually ease my way into snowboarding."

"That would be a miracle," Beckett said, smiling as he leaned over to brush his lips against her neck. "Since I haven't had the chance yet to get you to even try sliding down a hill in the yard."

"Knowing my luck I'd likely keep going right into the water," Castle teased her since she had never made a hill that pointed in that direction. When she rolled her eyes he then grew serious and told her, "There is another activity I'd like to do."

"I'm aware of that one already," Beckett said with a slight smirk on her lips. "And that you would especially want to do that one with me. And we will, I'd love to have a day during our trip with just us and our room. Which is nice?"

"I don't know, they say all the rooms are differently decorated each floor, and there are only sample pictures, since each room on those floors are also different too," Castle said. "But there will be a large bed."

Shaking her head Beckett told him, "I think there could be fifties style double beds and we'd have no problem with that."

"I know, we're pretty great," Castle said, not surprised when she rolled her eyes yet again. "For now though, do you want to write a little this week?"

"A little," Beckett told him. "Just enough so we're not chapters behind when we get back."

"We're not chapters behind now," Castle told her simply. "But alright," he said with a slightly suffering sigh. He laughed as she pushed his shoulder and then said, "He was pretty rude to you," suddenly.

"I gathered from what you were saying to him," Beckett said. "So he's seen me."

"He's read our books," Castle told her. At her nod he said, "He doesn't seem to realize you haven't changed since becoming a mother; well, not as a lover I mean."

"I'm surprised you didn't tell him that," Beckett commented, watching him with a little smile on her face.

"Like I was going to say that," Castle scoffed. "No, he doesn't need to know. No one needs to know," he said as he picked her up then and carried her to the bed. "How you are my love, just me."

"Just you love," Beckett echoed as he laid her down. She took his hungry kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly as he lay on top of her, neither one of them caring about their clothes just yet as their tongues met in her mouth.

* * *

Pressing kisses from his wife's bare shoulder up over her collarbone, Castle delighted in the soft laugh that escaped her lips at that, and he growled a little at her saying, "Yeah, if this got out, I'd have a hard time keep you to myself."

"You're lucky I know you're not being actually possessive," Beckett commented as she watched him play with her fingers that he was holding. They had just made love twice and were calming down in the aftermath of that, the fire warm against their sweat slicked bodies.

"I'm lucky you seem to just want me," Castle joked.

"Seem," Beckett said, rolling her eyes. "I told you in our vows you know."

"I remember," Castle said, his tone serious then.

Letting go of his hand and then turning around to face him, Beckett asked her husband, "Is this suppose to be a second honeymoon?"

"Not exactly," Castle told her, being reminded of something he'd thought of the month before when they'd gone to the city for a weekend as his father had invited the two of them to a dinner his firm had held in his honor; when he'd seen Christmas items in stores already though Halloween was swiftly approaching. "This'll just be a vacation, but we'll have a second honeymoon one day, I promise."

"Good," Beckett said, studying him as she knew from the look on his face that he had something rolling around in his mind. After so many years together she also knew that it wasn't something he was going to tell her until he had it set, so she merely leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips before he was quickly responding to it by deepening it. She allowed his tongue into her mouth as she'd done so many times that night by then, and moved hers against his repeatedly until they moved away from each other to be able to breathe. "Hmm, you know, I don't think of you as a pervert anymore," she told him.

Pulling away from her, Castle was about to comment on that when his wife spoke again, and he had his explanation.

"Because I want that day too, we'll have to set it aside for ourselves," Beckett told him. When her husband looked eager as he nodded rapidly she laughed before sitting up and saying, "But until then-"

"We have the girls to think of," Castle said, getting up with her. When they were dressed in their pajamas he took her hand and pulled her to him, murmuring into her ear, "I love you."

"I love you too," Beckett said with a slight smile before she pulled back to kiss him as he was leaning down to her. When they parted she took his hand, and they left the room to do their usual check of their daughters together one last time to make sure the two were fine before they would allow themselves to finally sleep as well.


	2. Song In The Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michipicoten Island is a real island in Lake Superior, but the resort I completely made up myself.
> 
> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Sunshine Sometime by Paul McCartney, the lyrical version of the song has never been released.

Watching as Beckett leaned over to press a kiss to Eliza's forehead, Castle waited to see if their daughter would wake up. But luckily she only squirmed at the touch before settling down again. He went over to her after his wife had gotten off the bed, and kissed her forehead as well, unable to help running his hand over her hair gently.

Taking Castle's hand, Beckett led him to Julia's room, where she got onto the bed, since she was sleeping on her side. She kissed her temple before the little girl suddenly fidgeted and started to turn towards her. "Hey, go back to sleep sweetie," she whispered as she was looking into Julia's green eyes.

"You're leaving?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah, we kissed your sister goodbye," Castle said, leaning over so she could see him. "And now we're doing the same to you. But your mom is right; you should get some sleep sweetheart."

Pursing her lips, Julia shared a kiss with her father and then her mother before telling them, "Bye, have a great trip," though she'd told them that the night before.

"We will, I'll take a ton of pictures," Beckett promised before she stood and made sure the covers were tucked around her again. When she was sure that their daughter was asleep she took her husband's hand and they went down to the kitchen where Jim and Martha were. "Okay, we're ready Dad," she told him.

"I am too," Jim replied before he watched her go to her mother in law.

"Thank you so much for staying, I hope you'll have fun with them," Beckett told her. "Also that they won't tire you out too much."

"I'll be fine," Martha assured her. "And so will they, you two worry more about your time alone."

"We will Mother, but I'll add my thanks to hers," Castle said, hugging his mother quickly. "We'll call tonight if we can."

"Go, and have fun," Martha said, following them then to the door where she watched them get into Jim's car. She waved at them as they took off and then breathed out deeply, "You'd better have fun," since she and Alexis were still unsure as to the state of the marriage.

"We should get there in time for your flight, but you're only going to Canada," Jim said, looking at his watch once he was on the road out of the Hamptons. "I'm surprised they still make you come in two hours early."

"No exceptions," Beckett said, smiling at her husband who'd volunteered to take the back seat. "How are we getting to the place I forgot to ask? Are we driving from Toronto?"

"No, seaplane from Toronto, which is going to be awesome since I've never been in one," Castle explained. At his wife's small smile he reached up to her and squeezed her hand before she started talking with her dad as she wanted to keep him awake for the drive into JFK. He was able to stay awake himself, but with it being so early and traffic not having begun yet, their arrival at the airport was a slight surprise in that sense since he'd thought they'd take longer. But he got out to help his father in law with his and Beckett's suitcases before he stood by them as the two said goodbye.

"Have a great time up there," Jim was telling his daughter. "But keep warm."

"I know," Beckett replied with a smile, since she knew he'd been to Canada before and around that time of year as well. "And we have winter clothes, so don't worry. I'll be taking a lot of pictures."

"Then you should have a great time with that," Jim said. "And you too," he told his daughter's husband as he shook his hand.

"Most likely," Castle said. "Thanks for the ride, get home safe."

"I will, I'll see you two for Thanksgiving," Jim told them. When they started to walk into the terminal he headed back home, wondering what exactly they were going to do in what sounded like the middle of nowhere. But he knew his son in law would make sure he and Beckett had things to do; since he'd been on trips with them; and with that thought in mind he headed out of the airport to go into the city.

"So how long is the flight?" Beckett asked as they walked into the line at the Air Canada counters.

"Forty-two minutes," Castle told her. "I know, pretty short, we'll spend more time in the seaplane to tell you the truth. What?" he asked when she just smiled and shook her head at him.

"You're like a little boy talking about that plane," Beckett told him with a smile. They had to go up to the next available desk, so he couldn't reply to that, and she made sure they hurried to security before he could say anything again. Up at the gates she found theirs and while her husband went to get coffee she took her camera out of her bag and went to take a picture of the Embraer 175. After she'd taken that she took another picture with her phone, sending it to Martha but later at nine when she could be sure her mother in law was awake.

"I had a feeling it was going to be a small one," Castle said, handing his wife her coffee.

"For forty two minutes? More than likely," Beckett said, smiling at him. She wasn't surprised when he leaned over then, kissing her tenderly on the lips before they parted. "We're starting already?"

"We started when I woke you up," Castle told her teasingly. "And why not? Unless this is the point where the smart ass remarks begin." He blanched a little at his wife's expression at that and then said quickly, "I mean from me of course."

"Of course," Beckett said, rolling her eyes though she had a little smile playing across her lips. "But we've got a long time before we start boarding, so…" she told him before she took his hand and pulled him over to the chairs facing the windows. "What's in the bag?" she asked.

"Breakfast, I wasn't sure they'd give us much on the flight," Castle said, shrugging as he took a bear claw out and split it in half. He watched her start to eat and said, "There'll be stuff to do, actually, tomorrow I signed us up for a trip out to the island for a few hours if the weather holds."

"What's there to do?" Beckett asked him as she watched him looking as she popped a piece of the pastry into her mouth.

"Walking mostly, but not that much," Castle said. "Since it's a Nat- sorry, Provincial Park."

"And anything else?" Beckett asked, looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, there's a lighthouse and it was built in 1912…" Castle began, not surprised she'd picked up on the fact that there was more to it than that.

"And we can go inside?" Beckett asked him.

"I think some of it," Castle said.

"You packed your digital recorder didn't you?" Beckett said though she was smiling at him.

"Yes ma'am," Castle said a little sheepishly before she took his hand. He entwined their fingers and said, "It's my chance, I looked at some pictures of it and wow Kate, it's isolated, on an island… it's got to be haunted."

"We'll go, but I would rather spend more time outside than inside the lighthouse," Beckett told him.

"Fine with me, I would too actually," Castle said. "But, it might be cold outside."

"I looked at the weather remember? And I think we'll be alright for a little," Beckett told him simply.

"Okay, well, tonight's the big dinner I told you about, but we should get there with a little bit of daylight to spare," Castle said. "And I would love to walk along the shore of the lake. The Great Lakes are supposed to be like the ocean."

"Is that why you picked it? Since we're supposed to have this connection to the ocean?" Beckett asked teasingly, squeezing his hand.

"More than likely," Castle replied. "But you should get some amazing pictures love."

"I wanted to do that already, just wasn't sure about the time," Beckett replied. "What about when we get to Toronto?"

"We'll have an hour and a half until the seaplane picks us up," Castle said. "So I figure we could eat lunch and then head out to the pier where our plane will be."

"Sounds good to me, now we just need to get there," Beckett said, looking at her watch. Seeing they still had time, she finished the last of her coffee and told him, "Tell me the rest of our itinerary now."

"Well, I don't have anything set in stone," Castle confessed to her.

"Can you ride horses there?" Beckett asked with a slightly hopeful tone to her voice.

"No, sorry, I looked for that first thing," Castle apologized. "But there's snow shoeing, cross country skiing. The building has a conservatory of flowers; a lot of orchids apparently love."

"We'll be visiting there," Beckett said with a smile and a nod.

"But I think a lot of it is supposed to be relaxing," Castle said. "They have some mock Roman baths-"

"Would we have to go in them separately?" Beckett inquired.

"No, we can go together; remember this place caters to couples," Castle said. "I really don't think people take their kids."

"It should be interesting," Beckett said. "But I wonder if we'll have to fill in the time when we're not doing that stuff."

"More than likely," Castle said, laughing when his wife pushed on his shoulder playfully. "We don't usually do that Kate," he told her, keeping his voice low so only she would hear him. "And it would be nice to have the chance to again."

"That's true," Beckett said slowly with a small smile as she had to agree with him in his desire to indulge in the ability to make love whenever they pleased. "Okay, well, like I've been telling you for a long time, I'm ready for this trip, so let's hope we get on the plane soon."

Laughing slightly at that, Castle then got out his crossword puzzle book from his carryon and got her to help him fill out the puzzle he was on at the moment. They managed to finish it just before first class was allowed to board. When they were in their seats, buckled up and had read the safety procedures, he told her, "Now I remember why I don't like these smaller planes."

"It's not the plane's fault you're so tall," Beckett said, taking a look at the pictures she'd snapped as she and Castle had been first on board. At the door she'd taken pictures looking up and down the single aisle in the Embraer for their girls to see. That made her smile, since Eliza had quickly become interested in planes as the three of them were, though they were interested for different reasons. She and Eliza enjoyed the liveries, while Castle and Julia liked the liveries, but also loved the different kinds of aircraft. "I can't wait to take them out again on another flight," she commented to her husband.

"It'll be great to do that again," Castle said. "I can't wait until we head to Europe in a bigger plane."

"Just Europe?" Beckett asked.

"Well, I'm not sure where you want to go exactly besides Spain and Ireland; the UK too," Castle said.

"Do you remember the Fourth of July before we got married?" Beckett asked him. When he nodded she reminded him, "And David and Rebecca were talking about Japan?"

"You want to go to Japan?" Castle asked.

"I do, you said it was nice," Beckett told him. "And from what I've seen of it, I'd love to go there. Julia already does," she reminded him.

Castle nodded to that and he said, "Eliza would like it too, but we need to go when she's-"

"Older," they said at the same time.

"We'll plan that trip out another time, but for now…" Beckett said as the doors were closing by then since the plane had finished boarding. She held his hand as they taxied, and as soon as they had leveled off they were giving their drink orders before she looked out the window for the scenery, watching as they left behind New York state.

Since the trip was so short, Castle and Beckett didn't really relax for long, since they were soon at Pearson International Airport, and they got their carryon suitcases before heading through customs. Since they had nothing to declare and were there for pleasure, they were soon stamped into the country and were looking through the terminal they were in for a place to eat since by then they were hungry and it was lunchtime as well.

"Well, we have two choices," Castle eventually said.

"One thing before you go any further," Beckett said to stop him. "Our luggage?"

"They'll pick it up, that's what those yellow tags were for," Castle reminded her. "I made sure we'd be taken care of. So, burgers or a pub," he said.

"I think we should try out the pub," Beckett told him. "Not to drink," she told him as he looked at her in slight surprise. She led him over to the restaurant and said, "I'd like us to be sober when we get there."

"Very true love, I wouldn't want you to tell Alexis or my mother that I fell into Lake Superior because I was drunk," Castle said before they were shown a table.

As they were looking at the menu, Beckett said, "They should be up right now."

Looking at his watch, Castle nodded since by then it was eleven and said, "I wonder what they thought of that picture of our plane."

"They probably loved seeing it," Beckett said in amusement. She was going to say more when the waiter came over and took their orders.

"You folks coming home?" the man couldn't help asking.

Sharing a glance as they guessed he might be a fan, Castle said, "Actually we're here for a vacation, on Lake Superior for a week."

"That's beautiful country, you'll enjoy it there," the man said before he left.

"Definitely a fan," Beckett said, not surprised when her husband nodded in agreement. "I think I'm getting used to that more and more," she told him.

"I've noticed, but we still need to work on you and the interviews we do," Castle said. When his wife gave him a look he quickly said, "But for now let's just focus on lunch."

"Tell me why you were here in Toronto," Beckett then said.

"Book tour," Castle said simply. "You want me to see if our agent can book one for us through the country?"

"That's okay, I told you we can't really do those yet," Beckett said. "Well, you could do that if you wanted to."

"The fans would be pissed, you realize that you're the other half of the authorship of our books," Castle pointed out to her.

"I know, but unless you can wait until Eliza's older, then you're on your own," Beckett reminded him.

"I can wait," Castle said simply, holding up his hands. When his wife urged him to tell her about what he'd seen in the city when he was there, he quickly told her about his last trip to the city, not surprised she listened intently to him. "So we could come here some day with the girls, maybe a three day weekend if we arrived Thursday night?"

"We'll have to keep that in mind," Beckett said quickly as the waiter came over with their food.

"When we go out to the pier you'll see more of the city," Castle said once they were left alone. He then brought up the subject of Christmas presents, as they were starting to buy them for their family and friends. That took some time as they had to talk over a few ideas that they'd had, but when they'd finished eating he switched the subject asking her, "What would you like to do now?"

"Well, since we have the time, go find a store that has a stuffed moose for Eliza, since that gift I'm not hesitant about buying," Beckett said as they walked back through the terminal.

"What about Julia?" Castle asked.

"A Canadian book," Beckett said.

"Not a stuffed… beaver?" Castle suggested. "Or a bear native to the country?"

"You know our daughter," Beckett replied, a smile on her face.

"I know, I just wish she'd want stuffed animals more," Castle said with a sigh.

"She's eight still Rick," Beckett told him, squeezing his arm. They came to a store with some stuffed animals among the souvenirs it sold, and the other half of it was a bookstore. She let her husband get the stuffed moose while she went to the books, looking through the kids' section before seeing one that stood out a little to her.

"Find something?" Castle asked his wife as he walked over to her. " _Dear Canada_?" he said as he saw the top of the book before she opened it.

"It's a diary," Beckett replied, looking at the text before she went to the back and read an entry there. "I think she might like this."

"History though," Castle said.

"If she doesn't we can save it for Eliza, see if she'll enjoy it," Beckett said.

"Doesn't hurt to try," Castle said, taking the book as his wife handed it to him. He looked at the title and nodded saying, "Not sure what a _fille du roi_ is."

Beckett turned, going to tell him she had no idea either, when she saw he was on his phone. She smiled and waited at the bookshelf she'd stopped in front of as he read wherever he'd searched on the internet.

"They were young women who came to Canada between 1663 and 1673 to marry bachelor settlers here. Obviously so there were families and it wasn't just men; plus they could have kids and further populate the settlements," Castle told her. "And they were paid to do so by King Louis XIV so that's why they were called that."

"Interesting, did they have to marry someone as an arrangement, or could they pick?" Beckett asked him.

"They could choose, they had a period of time to do that though," Castle said, still reading. "Yeah," he said, putting his phone away. "If they were forced to marry a man there's no way I would think of buying that book for her."

"I wonder if I should read it before we give it to her," Beckett said, looking at it.

"Yes, we always try and vet what we can," Castle said immediately. "Does that make us overprotective?"

"That makes us parents who want our little girls to stay little girls until they become women," Beckett replied. "Well, until they become teenagers of course, then women."

"Although waiting until they're women…" Castle said jokingly. He wasn't surprised when his wife shook her head, starting to walk to the register. Before she got too far from him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, kissing her very briefly on the lips before letting her go, walking after her to pay.

Leaving the airport after that store, Castle and Beckett took a cab to where their seaplane to the resort was parked, and they took a few pictures of the Otter, including one to send to their daughters. The plane left shortly after they had boarded, and they settled back for the flight though it wasn't going to be a long one either.

* * *

"There's the island," Castle said, pointing to the land mass in the water as the plane was landing in Lake Superior.

"Pretty," Beckett said as she could just barely see a white tower that she assumed was the lighthouse. "But very white," she couldn't help add with a smile as they came to a long pier along the shore.

"Yeah, the seaplane isn't going to be in service again after this flight," Castle said. "It's just for one time at the beginning of the season; if the weather holds," he told her.

"How do we get back to Toronto? Sled?" Beckett asked teasingly.

"Car," Castle said, smiling at that as they stood to put on their coats.

Outside a group of people were getting the suitcases from the hold of the plane and putting them onto the back of a cart as someone was calling to the people disembarking.

With everyone from the plane in front of him, the man said, "Good afternoon to you all and welcome to the Michipicoten Resort. I'll be taking you to the hotel and explain our activities here since I am the activities director. If you have any questions, my name is Ronald Hill so please ask. So we have some snow as you can see. And while there are some ponds around us, it's better if you use the skating rink we have attached to the resort as the ice here isn't frozen solid yet. We have equipment for some snow sports, so please ask at the concierge about renting anything." He was leading them down a shoveled path to the large building close to the shore, and he said, "We have a swimming pool; heated of course; a sauna and even a half miniature golf course on our grounds. As for activities the resort itself is hosting, we're having a black tie dinner tonight to celebrate the opening of the season, so I hope to see all of you there to meet your fellow resort patrons and to dance as well."

When they had reached the lobby, Castle was relieved to get a break from the man's speech and he hurried to get him and his wife checked in. As they were going up in the elevator with a bellman he took Beckett's hand, hoping she was still eager to be there. But when he glanced at her he was relieved to see that she was, though she looked a little tired. He wanted to speak to her but waited until they got to their room and were alone after he'd tipped the bellman and she had given him something on a hanger that she needed pressed for that night. "Okay, so I think we should take a _siesta_ and then head out to the shore," he suggested as he watched her.

"That would be really nice actually," Beckett said, nodding in agreement. "But first, unpack since I don't want to have to send everything down to be ironed." She quickly started to hang up all the clothes and dresses she'd brought; as he'd told her the dress code for dinners down in the dining room was cocktail except for that night; and once she was satisfied everything was set she tucked the suitcase next to Castle's, going to the bed to find him asleep already. She smiled and set the alarm on her phone before joining him. She was exhausted after having to wake up early for some last minute packing, so it was a relief to get the chance to rest her eyes. But she felt like she'd just barely closed them when she was jolted awake by her phone going off next to her ear.

"That went too quickly," Castle groaned as he sat up with her. "But I feel a little better."

"Me too," Beckett said, not looking at him as she knew why he'd mentioned that. "Come on, let's get dressed and go out."

"Someone's shutter finger is itchy," Castle said before he paused in getting off the bed as his wife turned to him. "That sounded dirty."

"It did," Beckett said, shaking her head at him, a small smile on her face. "Just say I'm eager to take pictures, because I am."

"You said it for me," Castle said simply, smiling widely at her. He followed her in putting on numerous layers, leaving their hats and gloves for last before they left their room. As he waited for her to get her camera out of her bag he glanced around saying, "It's a nice room."

"I know, really glad we got the Art Nouveau floor," Beckett replied, looking around with him. "And also glad that they didn't go overboard with it."

"Just enough to be modern too," Castle said as his wife nodded in agreement with him. "Okay, let's go?" He smiled when she merely went to the door ahead of him, and he was quick to follow her outside to the path where they'd walked from the pier. He watched in amusement as she took a picture of the boathouse next to the pier since it was made of stones. Taking her camera he followed her along the shore of the lake until they reached the trees that edged the resort, seeing some cabins here and there.

"Did you know about those?" Beckett asked, as she knew they had to still be on the resort's property.

"No, I would have reserved one if I had though," Castle told her. "Man, now I'm a little angry I hadn't seen those on the site."

"Pervert," Beckett said, knowing what he had in mind already.

"Oh, you can't call me that," Castle told her. "You agree with me about wanting this trip to be alone together again."

"Give me that," Beckett said, snatching the camera out of his hand. She was smiling though, and she leaned up to him as she pulled her scarf away from her mouth. Their kiss was very quick as it was getting windy and cooler with the sun slowly heading to the west, but she had to smile as Castle was still affected by it, his hand pressing on her back before he paused. "Do that again inside where we don't have to worry about freezing," she told him.

"Yeah, how is your camera working?" Castle asked as he watched her take pictures of the trees ahead of them. She didn't answer; as he hadn't expected her to; and then looked down at the snow on the ground. He picked a little up before he threw what was in his hand at his wife.

Feeling the snow exploding on her back, Beckett was quick to throw the makeshift snowball that she'd made as she'd suspected he might try to do that. She laughed as it hit his shoulder, and he was soon bending over to get more snow. Hurrying behind a tree, she turned to peer around it, when she was abruptly crying out as he was suddenly there in front of her, taking her down to the ground. "You're a cheater, hitting me in the back," she told him teasingly once she'd stopped laughing.

"I take what chances I can get," Castle told her simply. "Since you tend to have better aim than I do."

"Alright, you might want to get off me though, it's a little cold," Beckett reminded him.

"Right," Castle said, quickly getting up. He helped brush the snow off of her back and said, "You want to head back?"

"Yeah, I got enough pictures," Beckett said, looking out at the lake with him. She took his hand though their hold was a little bulky between their gloves, but she didn't let go. She took the opportunity to take a few pictures as she was holding her camera in her free hand before they entered the hotel. Sighing in relief as she took off the scarf over her mouth, she nodded to a few people who were in the lobby, looking their way. "Well, now they know we're here," she said as she saw looks of recognition.

"I expected it," Castle commented, not surprised when his wife nodded in agreement. "Let's just hope we don't get hassled for autographs constantly."

"Come on, I'd like a warm shower before we go to dinner," Beckett told him, taking his hand and leading him over to the elevators.

Inside their room, they ended up taking the shower together, but to Beckett's surprise, Castle remained on his best behavior as they warmed up again and then cleaned up. He went out into the bedroom to dress while she changed in the bathroom, leaving the bowtie to his tuxedo off as he headed to the main room of their suite. Studying the sky outside; what he could see of it as it was dark; he hoped any snow would hold off as he wanted the chance to visit the island. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned to see his wife was ready. "Kate," he breathed out slightly when he saw her.

"I thought that was going to happen," Beckett said, a smile on her face as she went to him and took his tie out of his hand. As she was setting it she wasn't too surprised when her husband put his hands on her back, feeling how much of it was cut out. She suddenly shivered when his hands went low on her and she gave him a look.

"Come on," Castle protested at that. "You wear a dress like that and expect me to look and not touch? You know me better than that."

Smiling again, Beckett said, "I know, and that's why I picked this dress," as his hands were clasped around the small of her back, exposed by the lower cut out in the back of her black dress. She was surprised; when she finished getting the tie straight on his tuxedo; when he reached up to finger the lace at the top of the dress on her right shoulder, since her hair was draped over her left. "So you like it," she told him.

"I do, just remember that you're coming back here with me tonight," Castle told her in a mockingly stern tone of voice.

"Oh, don't worry, there will be a lot of coming," Beckett teased him as she turned to get her shawl. She wasn't too surprised when he stopped her, making her turn to him before he crushed her lips with his. She forgot about her lipstick she'd put on, but when they managed to break apart she couldn't help but laugh softly as some of it was on his lips. "You were too eager," she told him as she went to reapply.

"I was, but it needed to be done," Castle said, watching her come back to him as he cleaned his mouth. He watched her closely as she reached him, and reached up; touching the aquamarine of the necklace he'd given her on their wedding day. She was wearing that entire set and he thought it had been the best purchase he'd ever made; with her having the jewelry on it looked even more stunning. He was tempted to kiss her again, but finally settled for kissing the back of her hand after she had her shawl, and they soon left the room together.

"I forgot to tell you," Beckett said as they were walking to the elevator. "You're not going to believe who made this dress."

"Julia and Eliza?" Castle asked.

"No," Beckett said, laughing briefly as he was so serious. "Stella McCartney."

Looking at the dress again, Castle said, "Really?"

"I told you, you weren't going to believe it," Beckett told him. "But yeah, I went shopping with your mom the last time we were in the city, and I couldn't resist when I saw it. The fact it's from her was a nice surprise."

"I'll agree, she's a good designer," Castle commented as they rode down the elevator. When they reached the lobby he let her take his arm and led her into the ballroom where they saw other guests milling around before the activities director came over to them.

"Welcome Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett, wonderful of you to join us," Hill said. "You'll have name cards at your table, so please, look out for them before we eat so you know where to sit."

"He's a little annoying," Beckett commented as they watched him walk away to another arriving couple.

"Just a little," Castle said in agreement. He led his wife around the tables, looking at the cards before they found their seats. As they were standing, waiting for the dinner to begin, he gave their drink orders to one of the waiters walking around the room for that purpose, and then helped his wife sit down before joining her.

A few minutes later, the other guests were gathered at the tables, and Beckett noticed Hill glancing over at the two empty seats at their table saying to her husband "Was this mandatory?"

"No, but Hill's a stickler for the first night dinner," a man said next to Castle. "So that couple better not be late or they'll be on his bad side."

"And what would he do if they are?" Castle asked.

"Nothing, they're paying customers, so he can't really do anything to them," the man said. "He'll just be annoyed with them, which is annoying to see. I'm William Maxtone and this is my wife Chelsea," he said, introducing the woman next to him.

"This is your first time up here?" Chelsea asked, smiling at them as she nodded to them.

"It is," Beckett replied. "I take it from your knowledge of Mr. Hill that you've been here before."

"This is our third trip, we made it a tradition to visit right before Thanksgiving," William replied, taking his wife's hand.

Castle wanted to ask something but by then they needed to order what they wanted in the five course tasting meal that was offered, so he had to wait. When he had the chance, he was interrupted by Chelsea asking them something first.

"I hope it's not too personal, but do you have any kids?" the woman asked them.

"Two daughters," Beckett replied, surprised the woman had asked since she knew already the two were aware of whom she and Castle were. "You?"

"No kids," Chelsea replied. "Are you taking a break from writing?"

Smiling, as that had confirmed his suspicion, Castle nodded telling them, "We're working on our fourth book right now, and it's going pretty well."

"We're actually pretty far ahead, so we were able to take this vacation," Beckett added. "What do you both do?"

Talking about the fact that they were both psychiatrists, the Maxtones were soon telling Castle and Beckett about their practice in New York City before they were served the appetizer course. Conversation was interrupted by that, but as they waited for the next course Chelsea asked, "What are you planning on doing while you're here? Since Mr. Hill told you about the activities here at the resort when you arrived of course."

"I set us up for that trip out to the island," Castle told them. "If the weather stays clear. And really we haven't made much in the way of plans besides that."

"We'll likely just see what we feel like doing after tomorrow," Beckett said, looking at her plate with some vegetables on it that was set in front of her. She glanced around the rest of the table as they ate, wondering why they weren't talking to the others at all. But everyone seemed to have settled into conversations already as they spoke a little while they had their second course.

It was then that the doors to the ballroom opened, and everyone looked over to see that a couple was strolling inside. A few people; the Maxtones included; turned to watch as Hill seemed to race towards them as they started to walk to the one table with two empty chairs.

"Mr. Dennis, Ms. Lake, I know you might have some jet lag, but I thought I was clear this dinner would be one time," Hill told them.

"We got held up," Dennis said simply before he led the woman over to the table where Castle and Beckett were. He nodded to them and said, "We're starving," to Hill. "What've you got to eat?"

Spluttering a little, the man turned to a waiter, snapping his fingers and pointing at the two before saying, "You've missed the first and second courses, I don't know if the chefs can make you something for the third in time, but you've managed to make the main course. Excuse me."

Looking at the couple as they ordered, Beckett wasn't too surprised when she saw that they didn't seem to really care about upsetting the man. She glanced at Castle as Lake leaned against what she guessed was her fiancé as there was a brand new ring on her left hand and the two immediately started to kiss.

"I think we know now why they weren't here for dinner," Castle commented, turning his attention to the last carrot on his plate.

"Have you two ever stayed in those cabins that are on the property?" Beckett asked, trying to ignore the couple still making out across the luckily large table.

"No, they're a little expensive, and they've just finished remodeling them," William answered. "But they're supposed to be really nice."

"They look like it," Castle said in agreement as the table was cleared then. "Any reason why they're not on the website for this place?"

"There are only a number of them," William replied. "So they're by special request."

"How old are your girls?" Chelsea asked after there was some silence around the table.

"Julia's eight," Beckett said, looking at her husband as she'd mentioned while they'd been getting ready that she was expecting; with some annoyance; to have to talk all about their daughters since that tended to happen when they were with other married couples. "And Eliza is two."

With the fourth course, things quieted down again around the table as everyone were concentrating on eating until Castle was saying to his wife, "Not too bad."

"What, the dinner or this place?" Beckett asked with a smile as their voices were low.

"This place," Castle said. When he saw the look she was giving him he simply shrugged and then said, "Just seems like a great night."

"So far," Beckett finished. She smiled when he stared at her for a moment she leaned over and shared a brief kiss with him before she asked about what they would do once they got back to the resort after the island the next day.

"So you are heading out to Michipicoten tomorrow?" William asked. "Sorry," he said quickly when Castle and Beckett glanced at him.

"We're going as well, forgot to mention earlier," Chelsea told them. "We've never taken the chance to go out on our trips before, so it should be fun. We've seen pictures of it, and from what I can see there is some amazing wildlife and views."

"I agree," Castle said. "I've looked at some pictures myself." When Beckett poked him in the side he said, "But I didn't tell her we were going there until today, so she hasn't seen."

"You should be pleasantly surprised," William said.

"It sounds like it," Beckett said with a smile. When the couple had gone back to their conversation, she said to her husband, "So, what will we do Rick?"

"That I'll leave to you," Castle told her.

"Why don't we both decide," Beckett replied. "When we get back."

"Good idea," Castle said with a slight nod. "But you know we have a lot of choices."

"I heard," Beckett said, pretending to be serious. She broke out into a smile as her husband looked at her and she raised her glass of wine to him; tapping them together; before they returned to their food.

After the dessert course, the guests were allowed to go to the other half of the room which was the dance floor as the tables were cleared. Music began playing, and some couples began dancing while others watched along the wall.

"Dance with me love?" Castle asked Beckett as the music began to play. When she merely smiled in response he was reaching over to her, taking her hand in his as they went out to the dance floor. He wrapped his arm around her back, while he still held the other, her other hand holding onto his shoulder. As they began to dance slowly, he said, "This brings back some memories."

"It does," Beckett said. "Though that was for a case if you recall," knowing what memory he was referring to.

"I do, and this is a lot better," Castle told her. "I couldn't feel your back as well as I can in this dress."

"Pervert," Becket told him teasingly before she slid her hand from his grasp and wrapped both her arms around his neck. She wasn't too surprised when he immediately held onto the small of her back, pulling her close to him as they continued to sway slowly together.

Pressing his cheek to hers, Castle concentrated on their dancing until he looked up and saw Hill was with the non-dancing couples. "Little creepy," he murmured to his wife as he turned and she looked up in time to see the man.

"Very," Beckett replied, turning her head away.

"I almost expect him to come over and shove a ruler between us, telling us 'six inches,'" Castle said. He smiled as she laughed at that and then turned his head slightly to share a kiss with her. When they parted he pressed his forehead against hers as they went through the rest of the song.

Since the couples mostly danced with one another at first, Castle and Beckett were able to remain with each other before William Maxtone asked to dance with her while Castle danced with his wife. They talked a little to their partners, but once they were back together, they danced a few more times before going over to a bar that was set up in the corner of the room.

"Cheers," Castle said, tapping his glass of water against hers. "Sure you wouldn't want some scotch or champagne?"

"I don't want to be drunk or exhausted," Beckett replied simply. It was then she noticed a husband and wife looking over their way as they spoke to one another. "Did you-" she started to say.

"I noticed," Castle told her, having seen them as well. "Want to-" he was about to ask once they had finished their water.

"Excuse me," the husband said, coming up to them then. "I was wondering if I might dance with you Kate?"

Her annoyance high with the man's presumption that he could call her by her first name, Beckett was about to say no when the wife grabbed Castle and pulled him to the dance floor with a laugh. Before she could go after them, the man was pulling her in the opposite direction, and proceeded to dance with her.

"She's alright," the woman said as Castle kept trying to look for his wife. "I should introduce myself," she told him, trying to talk loudly so he looked at her. "My name is Lynn-Ann Gold. My husband is Todd Gold, we were watching the two of you dance together, you're a very attractive couple."

"Very much in love too," Castle told her quickly, not liking the tone of her voice.

"Of course," Lynn-Ann said with a brief smile at his slightly irritated tone. "Well, my husband and I have been watching you as I said, and we've become very interested in you."

"Is that right?" Castle asked, bracing himself for what he knew she would say next.

"Oh yes, and we're wondering, would you care to join us in our suite tonight?" Lynn-Anne asked him. Before he could say anything she then told him, "We've done this before with other couples, and it's helped our marriage immensely. And you'll enjoy watching your wife with my husband; he'll make her beg for pleasure which you'll love hearing her-"

Without a word, Castle wrenched himself away from her tight grip and said, "If this is what's helping your marriage then you might want to take another look at it. And my wife is only going to want to be with one man, and that's me."

"You'd better hope she isn't making out with Todd right now jackass," Lynne-Ann said angrily before he stalked away.

After making a brief stop at the bar, Castle went to where he'd been able to see his wife disappear to with Todd who'd managed to get her there by literally pushing her there, and wasn't surprised to meet the man coming out of the conservatory, his hand up on his cheek. Only giving him a smug smile, he walked past him quickly, looking for Beckett. When he found her he asked, "He asked the same thing?"

"Said that I would enjoy watching you with his wife," Beckett said, looking livid as he handed her the glass of champagne he held in his left hand. "Something about how I could see what we looked like when we were together. And then he mentioned that I would enjoy him as he was very adept with his tools."

"Tool- he said that?" Castle asked, taking her hand and leading her down the path and away from the ballroom.

"He did," Beckett replied, shaking her head.

"Well, the woman, she said her name was Lynne-Ann," Castle began as he found a bench and sat down with her. "She was right about one thing." He wasn't surprised when his wife looked at him in slight surprise and he told her, "She mentioned we were an attractive couple."  
"A little egotistical Rick," Beckett teased him. She sighed and then said, "I'd love to put that out of my mind though. Because I never felt more disgusted at the idea of having to share you."

"I'll agree," Castle said quickly. "So for now, here's to the rest of the night because I'd like to head upstairs after we walk a little through here."

Beckett smiled at that and then tapped her glass against her husband's before they drank a few quick sips. At that she stood, taking his hand to lead him down the path further, not surprised when he wrapped his arm around her waist as they began to walk together.

"I told you, you would like it here," Castle said as they stopped at some blooming, bright pink orchids and he watched her looking at them closely.

"You were right," Beckett allowed with a smile before she turned to him. "And you know what; we should look through this during the day. I forgot the time, Eliza's almost in bed."

Seeing that she was right, Castle finished his champagne at the same time she did before they headed upstairs to their room, careful when they went through the ballroom to not run into the Golds. In their room, he got his tablet from the room's safe, and sat with Beckett at the table, calling his mother. "You've got it," he told her when Julia and Eliza appeared on the screen.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Eliza cried, rushing up to the screen and waving a little wildly to them.

"Hey sweetie," Beckett said, smiling at the sight of her, relieved she seemed to be doing okay. "Sit down so we can talk to Julia too okay?"

"Kay!" Eliza cried before she went to sit next to her sister. But when she saw she was right behind her she grabbed her and hand said, "Here Mommy!"

"I see," Beckett laughed softly. "So how was your day today you two?"

"Fun, Gram let us play with Mari," Julia said.

"Both of you?" Castle asked.

"Eliza didn't want to come back home with me," Martha said, standing behind the girls by then.

"Okay, you were both good while you were playing right?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah," Julia said, smiling at her little sister who was nodding her head a little wildly. "And it was fun, we had a tea party and it was really tea."

"Chamomile Kate," Martha told her. "And they gave Eliza milk."

"We pretended the milk was white tea," Julia explained.

"I like it," Eliza said, nodding seriously.

"What else did you play?" Castle asked.

"Dress up, so Eliza had a lot of fun," Julia replied.

"She might be a model like you were," Castle murmured to his wife. He wasn't surprised when she pushed him slightly and then said, "Sounds like it was a nice day. What about with your gram, did you do anything with her?"

"We ate dinner with her," Julia replied. "And we talked to Alexis before you."

"Playing games too!" Eliza said.

"That too," Martha said with a smile. "And they've behaved wonderfully. But they do miss you."

"You miss you two too," Beckett replied. "But we'll be back soon," she promised.

"And then we'll celebrate Thanksgiving with you," Castle told the two, sharing a smile with his wife as their daughters immediately looked excited at that.

"I can't wait; we can play games afterwards right?" Julia asked.

"We always do," Beckett said simply. "Okay, it's late, and I know you need a bath before you go to bed," she told Eliza who pretended to pout. "We'll try and call tomorrow okay?"

"Around this time?" Martha asked.

"We might do it a little sooner," Castle said. "Since we would like to stay through dinner tomorrow night."

"And you didn't tonight?" his mother then said.

"We wanted to talk to our girls before they went to bed," Beckett said since that was the truth. "But for now, goodnight Julia, Eliza, I love you both so much."

"Love you Mommy," Eliza said, wriggling her fingers at the screen.

"I love you too," Julia replied.

"And I love you both too," Castle told them. "We'll tell you about what we do tomorrow. Today we just walked next to the lake a little since it took us a while to get here," he added when he saw that Julia was going to ask.

"I love you Daddy," Eliza said exuberantly.

"And me too, I love you too Daddy," Julia added.

"Night Martha, have fun with them tonight," Beckett said to her mother in law.

"Night Mother," Castle said quickly.

"Oh, you two enjoy your trip, don't worry about us here, we'll have fun until you return won't we?" Martha asked her granddaughters. When they nodded she said goodbye to the two before the screen of the TV went off on her son and daughter in law waving goodbye to Julia and Eliza.

"I hope Mother will be alright during the day," Castle commented as he turned off his tablet. "While Julia's at school."

"Eliza's very inventive," Beckett reminded her husband as he went into the bedroom. She herself stood and went to the window, looking at the view though she wasn't able to see much with her reflection it the light. "Even for two and a half," she said. A second later the lights went out and she looked over at her husband, smiling as she saw his shadow as he walked over to her. "Pretty," she said when they looked ahead to their vista of the lake.

"I know, if it wasn't so cold I'd say let's go north a little and look at the stars," Castle said.

"We don't have a telescope though," Beckett told him.

"No, but I bet this place would have one we could use," Castle said. "Since apparently they have so much stuff."

"Probably," Beckett said in amusement. She stood looking outside for a little longer before she felt fingers just barely brushing against her back. "Can you see me?" she asked, wondering if that was a caress or a miss.

"Not really," Castle told her, cursing his idea of turning off the lights though it had been romantic.

"Come here," Beckett said with a smile, taking his hand and leading him into the bedroom. She had to blink a few times when she turned on the light before she turned to her husband.

"Not as romantic," Castle commented as he was doing the same, the light bright compared to the darkness. "Okay, now I can see you," he told her. With that he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him saying, "And can do this a lot better than out there."

"You can," Beckett said as she laid her hands on his chest. "But why don't we-" She had been about to suggest that they move to the bed when he kissed her, almost crushing her lips underneath his. She welcomed the kiss as she held onto him tightly, and pressed against his front before they had to breathe. Her lips were throbbing slightly from the force of that kiss, and she bit at the lower one slightly before he was bending down to her. "Wait," she said quickly. She smiled when he immediately stopped before she pulled him to the bed, sitting on what was her end as he followed her hastily.

Leaning over, Castle kissed his wife again, but instead of making it as deep as the one before, he was carefully pressing his lips to hers before moving away, seeing as she opened her eyes that she was a little startled at the lack of force that time. He couldn't help himself then, and kissed her harder, pleased when her lips were quick to take his as well. He slid his tongue very carefully into her mouth before they were stroking at each other, making him tense in response before he finally had to stop, and he broke it off.

"You're probably a little uncomfortable," Beckett told her husband, starting to untie his tie at that point.

"A little," Castle said, amused through his arousal as she tossed the bow tie behind her without a second glance. He let her remove his jacket before he was bringing her back to him for another kiss, that one less intense but not simple as they were rubbing their tongues against each other again as they'd been before. After a time he was more than ready and when they parted he was going to be the first to move, when his wife beat him to it to his surprise.

Sliding down on her knees on the floor, Beckett was quick to open the fly of Castle's trousers, drawing out his erection easily though he was trying to stop her. She shot him a look at that, but knew he didn't want her on the floor doing that. She wasn't about to stop though, so slapped his hand away from her line of sight before she took him into her mouth. With his groan she knew he'd leave her where she was, and she proceeded to bob her head up and down around him carefully, having formed a plan in her mind as to what she wanted to do exactly.

Looking down at his wife, Castle was holding onto the very edge of the bed, gripping it tightly as the pleasure from her actions was a shock, and unending since she didn't stop moving around him. At some point his hands moved before he could realize it, and he slid his fingers through her hair, groaning deeply as she sped up almost at the same time. Her hands suddenly moved from his legs to join her mouth, and he was trying not to dig his fingernails into Beckett's head in an effort to take the added sensation of that. But it was difficult, and he was a little unsure of how long he would last as she was letting herself go faster with every pass up of her mouth. "Kate…" he began.

Ignoring him, Beckett continued to move, not caring that his tone had been a little desperate, since she'd been aiming for that in the first place. She liked to give him back what he gave to her pleasuring her, so it was with a great deal of satisfaction that she could push him to sound like that. Shaking her thoughts from that as he was suddenly letting go of her hair, she felt him cupping his right hand over the back of her head and she paid close attention to her husband, wanting to make sure things didn't get too far out of her control.

Hissing when she suddenly slowed down, Castle tried not to move to get back to where she had been before, since he knew he risked hurting her with that, but his body didn't listen enough and he found his hips jerking slightly. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly stopped himself and muttered an apology to her. He was relieved when a second later she went back to the rapid pace she'd been at before and he groaned again, sounding a little bit like he was satisfied. Just when he could feel the first inklings of his climax he was jolted almost violently when Beckett moved away. Opening his eyes he looked at his wife in slight surprise before he said, "Oh damn it love; it's going to be one of those nights."

"Do you want me to go back?" Beckett asked, though she was tucking his member back into his trousers, trying not to smile at his shocked expression as she zipped and buttoned the fly.

"No, but don't do that again when we're together," Castle said, knowing she would understand when that was exactly. "Come here," he said, pulling her onto his lap. Though he let out a grunt as she settled onto his still very prominent erection he didn't stop himself as he kissed her, holding her tightly to him as she was quick to respond.

Sliding her tongue into Castle's mouth, Beckett could feel the tension in his body as her hands held onto the back of his neck. She was heavily aroused herself, but she was able to control it a lot better, as she hadn't been teased to near completion. ' _Not yet anyways_ ,' she thought to herself as she could feel her husband's hands on her back. She shivered as he caressed her, and pulled away from the kiss as they were again stroking their tongues over each others. "You…" she started to say before he suddenly made her stand up.

"I've been feeling this all night," Castle said as a way of explanation. "I have to."

"No you don't!" Beckett ended up exclaiming on the last word though she'd been trying to tease him. But his lips just barely ghosted over her skin, and she couldn't pretend she hadn't thought of him doing the same exact thing when she'd bought the dress. As his lips went to the very bottom of the second cut out, she could feel herself becoming a little uncomfortable as she was getting too hot. She tried to reach back to unzip herself, but felt her husband's hands stilling her.

"Not yet," Castle said, knowing how far he'd likely pushed her doing that. He brought her back down onto his lap, and he kissed her deeply as soon as she was sitting, before she had a chance to lean against him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close as he made her raise her legs so her feet were above the floor. With her tucked against him neatly, he was almost devouring her lips and he wasn't sure how long he was doing that, only that when they parted they were breathing a little harshly; the sound echoing inside their room as their lips were slightly swollen. "So…"

"Yeah, I'm not sure I should have stopped," Beckett said, a slight smile on her face as she could feel what he wanted to do, but knew he wanted to drag out the time a little longer before he took her and made love to her. "But if you did the same," she said, her heart thudding in her chest a little faster at the idea. "I don't think I'd have any right to complain about it."

In reaction to that, Castle reached up and cupped his wife's cheek before he slid it down her neck and then along her side. He was moving slowly, deliberately, wanting to see how far she was before he did anything. The way her breath came out of her mouth in a soft, barely audible pant was enough of a tell and he quickly moved his hand to her thigh, squeezing it through her skirt. At her shifting against him he had to bite back a groan since she was rubbing against his erection that hadn't really gone away. He finally made her stand up and went with her, making her turn around. "I really don't want to take this off of you," he said. He couldn't help but laugh shortly as he pulled the small zipper down her back and murmured, "How often have you heard me say that in relation to your clothes?"

"Not that often," Beckett said, smiling at that as she turned towards him. She watched him get her dress off her shoulders, off her hips and out from her feet as she stepped back over the skirt, watching him lay it out on an armchair. She couldn't help feel a little impressed with him walking around, as she could very easily see the bulge of his member in his trousers, and it did not look comfortable to her.

"Lay down," Castle said, turning back to his wife and seeing that she was watching him. He was surprised when she didn't move and instead reached down to his trousers. He had intended to worry about his clothes later, after he'd finished pleasuring her for a little, but it looked like she had other ideas. Groaning as each movement of the black fabric was affecting him, he helped her with his shirt before that was on the floor and then allowed her to take care of his trousers. He got those off his legs as he stopped her from kneeling and took off his boxers before he was making her lay down.

Watching her husband climb up on the bed, Beckett let him take her right leg, drifting his lips from her knee down to her foot where her heel was in the way. But he made quick work of the buckle that was around her ankle and it was soon hitting the floor with a thud before he did the same to her other leg. Her heart was beating rapidly at the sensation of his lips again, very careful along her until he reached her heel on her left foot.

Knowing what she was expecting, Castle moved to help her take off her panties though it was mostly him that got them off of her, tossing them aside on the short pile of clothes that had gathered. He went up to her face then, kissing her deeply as he wanted to keep her in suspense for just a little while longer. He then pulled away and went to her neck, feeling her arch her head back a little to give him better access. He spent a little more time than he'd planned to there, but he was sure Beckett had enjoyed it since she was breathing deeply already. "Here?" he asked then, reaching down to her mound and cupping it firmly.

"Oh god Rick, where else?" Beckett asked, her voice a little strangled as she was feeling slight frustration and desire at the same time. When he quickly moved down her body, not stopping to kiss her or delay anymore, she breathed out a little quietly in relief. But she suddenly remembered she'd told him he could stop as she had pleasuring him and she only hoped he intended to make love with her as she was afraid she'd end up going crazy if all she got was his mouth, which had reached the junction of her legs. She tensed up somewhat as Castle carefully flicked his tongue out to her clit and when he took it between his lips her hands were automatically clutching at the bed underneath her. The sucking sensation of his mouth was quick to spread through her body as a ball of white heat that she thought was going to make her orgasm already, it felt that intense. But as it kept happening; shooting through her form; she became a little less tense and felt she had stronger control of herself, though that was shaken when he moved.

Going down to her folds, Castle carefully slipped his tongue through them, trying not to groan too loudly at the taste of her, but it was impossible. Her heavily trembling body let him know that she could feel him doing that and he reached up around her legs to hold her in place while he started to rub at her swollen nub, feeling her jerk against him. He proceeded to set up a kind of rhythm, though it was very hard to keep as he was either going to want to go faster, or slower; it kept changing with each pass of his tongue or fingers. Since he knew she was already so aroused he tried to at least keep those two at the same pace, but soon that fell apart when he felt her hand coming down to help his.

With one hand holding onto the bed still, Beckett soon felt her fingers being pulled away from the apex of her legs and she was a little annoyed by Castle doing that when he started to slowly caress her. She cried out softly as the sensation was quick to make her feel a new little burst of energy that manifested as pleasure in her, and all of a sudden, she was feeling nothing; only the throbbing of her body. "Wait-" she started to say as he suddenly got up. She pushed herself up, a little angry, when he leaned down, kissing her hard. Though she was tempted to touch him and maybe get him to move again, her husband seemed to sense she wanted to do that, and he grabbed her wrists in his hands, holding them away from their bodies.

When they parted from each other, Castle pressed his forehead against hers telling her, " _I need you, don't stop me love_."

Shivering slightly as his use of Irish; even after the years they'd been speaking it together; never failed to arouse her even more, Beckett said, " _So do I, but I have to have you now_ Rick."

"How?" Castle asked, loving her command; more so as it was in Irish and he loved her using that.

"Any way you want me," Beckett said simply. "Just fuck me Rick." Looking at him as he ran his hands up and down her sides, she was tempted to move them since he was taking too long for her, but finally he moved and she found herself following him onto her knees. But just as she'd gotten up, she was letting out a slight cry as she was whirled around so she was facing away from him. She was a little confused as to how exactly he'd gotten her to do that so fast when they had cloth under them, but she soon forgot that as his hands came up over her breasts.

For a moment, Castle was content to caress her before he started to fondle her mounds, paying particular attention to her nipples. But after a while, he decided he needed to do something before he fucked his wife at her request. So making her turn back around he quickly said to her look, "Just let me have this and then I swear I'll…" trailing off as he bent his head.

Though she was nearly fully annoyed with him, Beckett could see that he was as aroused as she was; his erection nearly curved up on his stomach. So she decided that if he was actually putting heavy strain on them both she could wait, but only a little longer. What also helped was the fact that Castle had taken her right nipple with his mouth and she held onto the back of his head tightly as he proceeded to suckle at her, making her shudder once when he began. The only problem with that was it was adding more pleasure to what she was already feeling from his touch and pleasuring her. And she could only hope that he intended on satisfying himself there quickly as he cupped her other breast in his hand, squeezing it firmly to her moan of joy as her nails dug into his scalp a little in an instant response.

When he managed to make himself pull away, Castle was quick to take her lips, kissing her as deeply as he could before she could move or say anything. He kept that going as she responded to him, for as long as he could until they had to breathe. Moving back he reached over to the pillow on his side of the bed, putting it on top of hers a little haphazardly as he was helping her up to the headboard. When he positioned himself behind her, he wasn't surprised when she reached behind her and cupped his cheek. "Are you ready?" he asked her, wondering if she wanted him to wait for some reason.

"For a long time now. Hurry up love and fuck me," Beckett told him, almost growling out those last two words. She leaned forward a little as he quickly touched her hips and she closed her eyes tightly as she shortly after felt him sliding into her. Once they were coupled together she was breathing heavily and she stayed where she was, against the headboard, though that time she was pressed against it instead of leaning on it. She gasped as he thrust once in her and then stopped, almost if he was testing what he could do. She was very tempted to yell back at him to just get on with it, but a second before she could open her mouth he was thrusting again and that time he didn't stop.

Hearing his wife crying out in front of him, Castle was spurred on to speed up his thrusts, watching her closely as she immediately started to move with him, trying to match him. He grunted a little as she felt tight around him, and she was also working her muscles there, so it was even tighter than normal. He leaned over enough so Beckett had to press her cheek to the wall above the headboard, but he got no protest in response to that, and he was able to feel what he was going through with her. Her sex was incredibly wet; he had to feel a little proud that she was that aroused because of him. His mind for some reason went back to the Golds and how they had seemed to think he and Beckett could be aroused with other people. He didn't think they realized they needed each other because the experience of being intimate together was very different from their past lovers. And he definitely didn't want anyone else knowing what Beckett could be like when he had her desire up to where it was at that moment. He looked at her hands, trying to grab the wall and he reached up since he could move just fine without holding her hips as he was then; he just liked doing it as it allowed him to feel more of her.

Feeling Castle's hands on hers, Beckett turned back a little to look at him, but he started to press his lips to the side of her head so she couldn't really see him. But she felt him and bit her lower lip as he leaned his chest fully onto her back so they were nearly cheek to cheek. "I'm surprised… you can last…" she whispered, as she realized it been a while since they'd started and he showed no signs of flagging yet.

"I know, don't ask why," Castle said reaching down then from the wall though he'd been able to get good leverage from it. He reached for the front of her body, running his hands over it a few times as his wife cried out slightly as his touch was very careful, brushing against her silky skin. He could feel her reacting around him as well, and he groaned in response to it, making him a little hesitant to continue further.

Beckett's eyes opened when she felt her husband's hands on her, and she breathed out heavily as he proceeded to stroke her clit. The sudden pleasure from the touch was quick to rush through her, making her feel even hotter than she already was. She looked back at him again, since he wasn't pressed right up against her telling him, "I'm going to come unless you stop," wanting to warn him just in case. It was a literal shock to her when he suddenly pulled away from her and she turned as he was grabbing her. "What are you-" she started to say when he laid her down after getting his pillow out of the way.

"Shh," Castle said simply before he kissed her. The kiss was more to keep her from protesting his quieting her, since he knew she hated when he did that. But also because he was aching as much as he knew she was and he needed something in an attempt to assuage that ache; kissing the best he could do. "Touch yourself," he told her then.

Beckett was about to object when she stopped abruptly, studying him closely to see what he wanted exactly with that. But she saw he was earnest, so she said, "I brought it," nodding to the closet.

"Another night," Castle replied. "Let me see what you like so I can do it to you myself later."

Her cheeks a little flushed, Beckett asked him for a pillow, hoping he'd fuck her again after she'd pleasured herself for a while. But he shook his head and she became a little confused as to what he wanted. At the same time she was reaching down to her sex, and she was able find her clit easily, since it was still heavily swollen. Breathing out as she brushed against it, she looked at her husband, seeing his hands clenching the bed and told him, "Pleasure yourself too Rick."

"I can't love," Castle told her honestly. "I do and I'll lose it, and all over you; remember?"

Nodding as she did remember the first; and last time; he'd done that, Beckett didn't repeat her request as she knew he preferred to do that inside her. She knew then that he was going to fuck her again; how she couldn't try and guess. So instead of trying to, she concentrated on herself, stroking her swollen nub before she paused a little. "I might-" she began to warn him.

"It's alright," Castle said. When she looked at him for a moment he didn't say anything else, just stared at her until he saw that she was starting to touch herself again. He kept his eyes on her hand, her fingers playing over her clit as he moved around slightly so he could see her sex almost straight on. He knew his wife was watching him as he did that, but didn't mind as he was more concerned about making sure she wasn't going to get herself off as she started to writhe. He knew that was a warning sign and he reached down to her hand, making her slow down the pace of her fingers as they were moving a little too quickly. When he was sure she wasn't going to lose it then he moved back when she reached up to him with her free hand.

Beckett pulled her husband down to her, seeing his surprise the second before she kissed him, and hard. She moaned as he was quick to respond then, and their tongues were rapidly inside her mouth, fighting together for a moment. She had to ease the duel before they tried tangling their tongues together, unable to do exactly that, but the resulting action wasn't that bad. At the same time she was feeling the rising pleasure inside her body, and she knew she wasn't going to be able to warn him that she was about to climax. But just as she started to feel the first tendrils of her orgasm snaking up from her clit, he was pulling back from their second kiss, leaving her gasping in response.

Taking Beckett's hand off of herself, Castle moved it aside and placed his hand on her stomach, staring at her as he could feel the tension in her even there. He waited, surprised when she didn't move to get him started again. But finally he thought enough time had passed to allow him to begin again, and he said, "Tell me how," his fingers lightly fondling at her folds, not surprised when they slipped against them she was so aroused.

Making a soft noise in her pleasure Beckett took a moment to reply to that, but instead of saying something she made him push his fingers within her. Gasping as the first two filled her she immediately began to move, not caring how she looked doing that; she needed anything she could get to get off badly. She was relieved when Castle didn't stop her, instead moved his fingers but a lot more slowly than she was moving. Groaning slightly as she forced herself to go a little easier, she felt his digits rubbing against her; rubbing constantly; and she wondered if he wanted her to get off like that. "Can I…?" she asked before trailing off.

"Not like that," Castle said, staring into her eyes intensely. "When I'm inside you."

Trembling at that and his tone, Beckett warned him, "If you are, then it's not going to last long."

"That doesn't matter, because I won't be lasting for long myself," Castle told her simply.

"Then fuck me, now!" Beckett said, pulling his fingers from her. She was able to sling her right leg over his shoulder, her left wrapping tightly around his waist a second before he was ramming into her; the bed slamming against the wall behind it in response. As soon as he started thrusting, she tried to hold off the inevitable peak of them both teasing her for so long that night. She had to wonder; in the back of her mind as she was meeting Castle's rhythm; why he had done that so many times when he'd seemed like he wanted to take things all the way to the end. But she knew it was something he enjoyed doing immensely as it was a little bit of self-torture without actual violence. So she just tried to keep herself from climaxing before he too was ready. But feeling the way he was moving in her she knew already that neither of them were going to make that bout the longest they'd ever taken fucking each other as they were furiously doing, clutching at whatever they could at the same time in their pleasure.

His eyes closed then as he was concentrating on what he was feeling as he was trying to move as fast as he possibly could, Castle was doing the same as his wife trying to hold off on his peak. But it was difficult since he'd had to hold off for longer than Beckett and he tried to think of anything else that he could besides her, though it was impossible to keep his mind from going back to her. She was still tight, still wet and the friction between them from that was making his head literally spin. He wanted to kiss her, wanted to have more contact with her than he had at that moment but with the position he couldn't get closer to her; though he wasn't going to begrudge how deep he was getting inside of her. It was then his mind went to his wife as she was moving a little haphazardly against him, their hips smacking and making a discordant sound before he gathered the remaining strength he had, ramming into her so hard he pushed her closer to the headboard and touching off his wife's orgasm.

Throwing her head back, Beckett cried out, "Oh god, Rick, don't stop… please… I'm coming," as she arched her back roughly in the intensity of her orgasm. She was clutching at his arms as tightly as she possibly could before feeling him starting to lose his rhythm and a second later he was groaning out her name once.

"Kate… love, I won't stop… fuck you're too good… perfect," Castle nearly yelled to her as his climax was concentrated and his body felt like it was burning from head to toe. He could feel his wife's form was the same, since their skin was sliding against each other, sweat soaked, and with the way she was still moving with him. Soon after that though, he felt her slowing down, and when they eventually had calmed down he gave a final thrust against her a little roughly before he slowed and then stopped, trying not to collapse on her. Breathing deeply he hissed slightly as she slid her leg off his shoulder, his skin feeling like it was hypersensitive. As soon as he could he leaned down and kissed her roughly on the lips, feeling her instantly responding.

As she parted her lips to Castle's seeking tongue, Beckett was feeling the same with her skin as they tilted their heads back and forth together, his body moving against hers. She suddenly pulled away from him and pushed on his shoulders telling him, "Get up."

Sitting up, Castle was a little amused that his wife was directing him to move over to the headboard that he sat against before he was taking her in his arms as she sat on his lap. When she kissed him that time, he understood then why she'd had him sit that way, since they were more comfortable and for a second reason as well. Her hands ran from the back of his neck and to his chest, stroking it carefully and making him shudder before he took her hands as they parted. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her palms gently before holding her against him, kissing her temple as he murmured, "I love you Kate."

Smiling at the fact that her husband was literally cuddling her, Beckett turned to him and kissed him hungrily, feeling him quickly changing his grip on her as he kissed her back in the same manner. As their heads tilted back and forth, she slid her hands over the back of his head, her whole body trembling almost imperceptibly as he was stroking her back. When they parted finally so they could breathe, she told him, "I love you too Rick." She then moved and whispered into his ear, smiling when he pulled back to look into her eyes and she nodded as his expression was questioning then. She lay down on her stomach in the middle of the bed, holding her breath at the first touch of his lips on her back. As he kissed his way down her spine she moaned softly in response to him, feeling his hand sliding over her skin as well.

Seeing Beckett was watching him, Castle smiled up at her and said, "Yes, I'm enjoying this." He pressed a few quick kisses to the small of her back before he ran his hand over it slowly, just wanting to watch the way her skin quivered in reaction to that. "Very much so," he murmured then as he let his hand slide down further to her ass, cupping it and squeezing it as she jumped a little.

"I knew it," Beckett said as he moved up to her face. "Do you want to again?" she asked as she lay back on her pillow.

Castle was grabbing his pillow at that point, putting it back and saying, "I'm still tired, so maybe we should get some sleep, get some energy for tomorrow… maybe I am getting old."

"Oh, I don't know," Beckett said with a smile as she raised her arms above her head and watched as Castle's eyes became glued to her breasts as they moved as well. "I think you could go again if you wanted to."

"Probably," Castle said with a grin as he looked up from her chest.

Beckett shook her head; still smiling; as she knew he hadn't really heard what she'd said. She didn't mind though, appreciative of the fact that he still desired her even after three years of marriage. She reached up to him then, and cupped his cheek, not surprised when he immediately turned his head to kiss her palm lovingly. "Listen to me right now Rick," she said to make sure she had his attention.

"Yeah, what?" he asked quickly hearing her tone and knowing she was serious.

"Tomorrow, we're calling the girls early; before dinner; and then when we get back…" Beckett began before she trailed off with a smile as he suddenly looked eager.  
"Whatever my wife wants," Castle said, not surprised when she rolled her eyes at that. He lay on his back then and held her close to him, stroking her hair as she was lying on her side against him. " _You looked stunning tonight love_ ," he murmured to her.

"You didn't look too bad yourself," Beckett said as she looked up at him smiling again. "And you know, if we had accepted their offer, I get the feeling you and I wouldn't have been able to go through with it."

"No, that's right, our addiction," Castle said. "We should have told them that."

"I don't think that would have helped, I'm sure they would have said it would have spiced up the marriage," Beckett said, rolling her eyes again though in annoyance. "You know some couples do that sometimes."

"I'm aware of it," Castle said. "But I've heard too many stories of that becoming a problem. So I think it's just you and I."

" _Us_ ," Beckett breathed, smiling when her husband looked at her with slightly wide eyes before he leaned down. She responded to his kiss as hungrily as he'd started out doing, and she cupped his cheek before she found herself on her back again. She stroked his skin, feeling the slight stubble there before she pulled away from him slowly telling him, "I'll take care of this tomorrow."

"Am I scratching you?" Castle asked in slight concern.

"No, but tomorrow you will," Beckett said, running her fingertips over his jaw line, just barely brushing against his skin. She bit her lower lip before she looked up into his eyes and seeing the arousal starting to manifest there she couldn't help pointing out to him, "See? I think you could again."

"I want to…" Castle said, taking that hand off his face and kissing it before he wrapped it around his member. He felt her jerk a little against him in surprise as she realized he was aroused yet again. He was surprised when she didn't move her hand, and instead started to move it up and down along him. "Kate…" he let out in a long groan.

"I realize I should pay you back for teasing you first thing tonight," Beckett said, getting up then and making him stay lying down as she straddled him. She took him inside of her; already wet with their kisses and her caressing his face; and began to make love to him, moving slowly and carefully, raising her arms above her head while she was doing that as he reached up to her breasts.

Fondling them for a few moments, Castle then reached up a little further to her arms which he pulled down taking her hands with his. He entwined their fingers together, and it gave her the impetus he had intended to start going faster, fucking him as he wanted her to do. He groaned as she was moving fast, going hard against him as if she was trying to make sure she could feel him. He became a little lost in her then as there was nothing he could do to not feel her. It was then he had the realization that she was subconsciously trying to make him forget the wife of the Gold duo and his own thrusts he'd been matching to hers sped up as they used each other for leverage, to try and make her realize he was perfectly happy with it being just them that night. Things were a blur eventually, as they drove each other over the edge, so neither he nor Beckett were aware of how long they were coupled together. All they knew when they stopped was that they were a little exhausted though they remained as they were before he said, "So not that old," a little teasingly.

"Stop saying that," Beckett said, rolling her eyes though she wasn't really angry. "And if you're going to, I guess I'll have to prove to you that you're not."

"In what way?" Castle asked her interestedly as he bent his knees and then put his hands under his head.

"Oh, I have many ways I can utilize," Beckett said with a smile before she got off of him. She then laid down directly on him and kissed him deeply before he was running his fingers through her hair to respond to her. She kept that up for as long as she possibly could, and then pulled away slowly, not wanting to end their kiss though she needed desperately to breathe. "That being one way," she said though she was still sensing the fatigue she'd felt after they'd made love.

"You'll have to prove it to me tomorrow night," Castle told her as he could sense she wasn't really feeling another bout. He wasn't either, so he busied himself with the covers getting them over them before he settled on his back with her curled up against his side. "So tomorrow the island," he told her.

"I know, and then after we'll take a look at the conservatory since I still want to look at the flowers, and we won't be there to get away from solicitors for sex," Beckett said, smiling when she heard her husband laugh at that. "And I'll have my camera too."

Raising his head, Castle kissed Beckett a little heavily before he pulled away slowly murmuring, " _Love you, goodnight_."

Smiling again; that time at his abrupt goodnight; Beckett kissed him briefly telling him, " _I love you too, goodnight_." She settled against him again, feeling very warm under the covers as she had felt the chill creeping in from the night outside as she'd raised herself to kiss him. But with the warmth from the covers along with what her husband's body provided, she found herself nodding off, holding onto him tightly still as she passed the grey area between consciousness and the comfort of sleep. She soon came into a dream of snow and water blurred together at first until it focused and she was by the lake again, the colors bright as her mind drew her further into the scene and her sleeping body relaxed fully against Castle as he slept deeply with her in his arms.


	3. Shinning Into The Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Sunshine Sometime by Paul McCartney, the lyrical version of the song has never been released.

Lying down next to his wife, Castle slid his arms around her and murmured, "Love, wake up."

The sound of his voice broke into her sleep and Beckett turned over in her husband's embrace, smiling when she saw he was wide awake. "You got coffee didn't you?" she asked.

"Good morning to you too," Castle teased her, brushing some of her hair off her cheek. "And I did, it's outside on the table, do you want it?"

"I do," Beckett said. "First," she said, stopping him before he could get up. She wasn't too surprised when he kissed her before she could do so to him, but it didn't bother her as she just wanted to kiss him. Parting her lips to his tongue she let out a soft moan as he quickly explored her mouth, before moving back slightly. Stroking his cheek, she smiled as she told him, "You better go get the coffee, or we won't be going out to the island."

"Oh right," Castle said, jumping out from under the sheets in a hurry before he went out to the main room.

Lying back with a smile, Beckett watched him go and said, "I hope you didn't answer the door like that."

"No and good thing too, it was a woman," Castle told her as he came back. He paused for a moment as she wasn't trying to bother to cover her breasts as she started sitting up against her propped pillow but then continued to sit next to her, watching her eyes go down to his naked groin. "So… coffee?" he asked, holding out the mug to her.

Smiling at his question, knowing he was trying to provide a distraction, Beckett took the cup and sipped at the liquid before she watched him walk around the bed. "I want us to go to the lighthouse first," she told him as he sat under the covers next to her.

"Okay," Castle said, taking her attempt at a diversion. "But how long do I get there?"

"We'll see how it is on the island," Beckett said, looking towards the window.

"It's clear, looks like a nice day," Castle told her, having looked out as he'd been waiting for the coffee. "The sky is clear, and the wind doesn't look to be too bad. But," he continued. "I saw on my phone a warning about a storm tonight."

"Well, at least it's tonight. I'm hoping you're not intending to stay that long," Beckett said lightheartedly as she leaned against him then.

"I'm not," Castle laughed though he knew she was joking. "But let's hope we get enough time to walk around the island, some of it," he quickly said as she looked at him. "I'd love to see some wild animals, so you can get some pictures for the girls."

"So would I," Beckett said. "Now," she said as she set aside her nearly empty mug. "I need a shower."

"Me too," Castle said instantly though her statement had been more of a command to him. He scrambled to follow her, setting his empty mug next to hers as they went into the bathroom. As soon as they were inside the shower stall and the water was on, he pressed his wife's body back against the wall, seeing in her eyes as he did so that that had been exactly what she'd wanted. Realizing that, he took her lips hungrily, passionately kissing her as they held onto one another tightly.

* * *

Looking into the mirror after she had wiped away the steam covering it, Beckett smiled as her husband came up behind her, kissing at her neck and making her close her eyes in response. "Hmm, I wasn't expecting a shower like that," she told him, still smiling.

"Neither did I, but I definitely have my energy back," Castle told her, holding her covered and slightly damp body back against his. "You do too I think," he said, looking at their reflections.

"I do but let's keep it for our day out," Beckett insisted.

"Oh, alright," Castle said in mock surrender.

"But," Beckett quickly said as she turned around to face him, wrapping her arms around him. "I really enjoyed that and you should know I'm expecting you to do that again at some point today… this afternoon or later. Just as long as it's you doing it and it has the same end result."

Swallowing hard at that, Castle replied, "Me too, feel free to do that again to me whenever you want to." He had expected her to call him a pervert, but when she leaned into him he took her kiss eagerly, kissing her back as hard as he could.

After they had pulled apart, Beckett grabbed another towel and set it on the counter between the sinks for her to sit on. She watched her husband grab his razor and two bottles after sitting and waited for him to wash his face in warm water.

"Any reason why you like doing this?" Castle asked as he turned to her and she had a little pile of shaving foam ready in her hand.

"Oh, just because," Beckett said idly as she began to lather his skin. She smiled as he shot her a look and she continued with, "Because it's an intimate experience, and I can scare you with this," holding up the razor after she'd finished and cleaned her hand. "Although really, what good would it do me if I went Sweeney Todd on your throat?"

"That's true, but you brought your toy so-" Castle started to say before she hit his shoulder, making him laugh.

"Stay still," Beckett admonished him. She ran the razor over his right cheek first, cleaning it off and then going back to take off another patch of the foam from his skin. She wasn't too surprised when eventually her husband's hands came around her and she smiled as she told him, "I said it was intimate didn't I?'

As she was shaving his chin then Castle couldn't really reply, but he managed to catch her gaze and he saw her pause for a moment. He knew she wanted to kiss him, but since the area around his lips were still covered in foam he reached up to brush his fingertips along her lower lip as a kind of promise for once they were finished.

Giving him a brief smile at that, Beckett concentrated on taking the rest of the foam off his face, leaving the space above his lip for him once she'd gotten every other place she could. "One of these times you're going to let me do that," she said.

"That's alright," Castle said. "Not that I don't trust you," he said to his wife as he was rinsing off the razor. "But it might be a little hard for you to shave such a small space at that angle."

"Hmm, I'd like to comment on that but I'm ready for breakfast so I'll let it drop," Beckett said. She smiled when he glanced at her and she readjusted her towel around her body to tease him, unabashedly flashing him a peek at her breasts. She raised her eyebrows at him when he paused; razor on his skin; and told him, "Hurry, I'd like to go."

Not saying a word, Castle nodded and finished the rest quickly since he hadn't had much left to go. Washing off his face, he looked at her and saw she was getting some of his lotion on her fingers before motioning him to her. As he always did when she shaved him or else watched him he leaned against the counter in between her legs, shuddering briefly and just once as she proceeded to massage the lotion into his skin. "I should just have you do this for me."

"I can't do it every time," Beckett said in amusement since it wasn't the first time he'd said that. "But just ask and I definitely will if I have the opportunity," she said as she finished and then wrapped her arms around him tightly, bringing him closer to her as they kissed. It was rough and a little frantic as they tilted their heads back and forth repeatedly before they finally broke apart, gasping for air. "I love you," she murmured to him.

"Never get tired of hearing you say that," Castle said before he brushed his lips against hers. "I love you too though, a lot." He saw her amused smile at that before he kissed her, making it a sensuous one that time as he had the feeling she would appreciate that much better than anything too rough. He held her close until they parted and then after he helped her down he left the bathroom so they could get dressed.

Walking out of the bedroom when she'd finished Beckett was surprised to see her husband make a face for a moment before he finished tying his boots he had for the island excursion. "What's that look for?" she asked, sitting next to him as she put on her own boots she'd bought specially for the trip.

"No, I was hoping you'd still have your necklace on," Castle explained.

"I'm not going to wear that out in the woods," Beckett said, shaking her head though she had a little smile on her face. "But I was thinking of wearing it tonight to dinner again."

"That would be great," Castle said, thinking about the fact that she would likely still have the necklace on if they used the bed at all after.

"So you like me wearing that?" Beckett asked, having been watching him and not surprised to see his eyes almost glaze over. "And nothing else?"

"Absolutely nothing else," Castle said, not ashamed to admit it in the slightest. "And I forgot to tell you last night that you looked amazing."

"So did you," Beckett replied, standing up since her boots were on. She tugged on his hand and told him, "Let's go though, I really am starving like I said before."

"Sure," Castle said before they left, hand in hand after making sure their winter coats and her camera were on the table. When they reached the ballroom downstairs, they saw that breakfast was buffet style, and he then took a look at the tables as they were walking over to the beginning of the line. "Kate," he said, to get his wife's attention. "We have to sit where we did last night."

"You're kid- Mr. Hill I would assume," Beckett said, shaking her head as she picked up a plate. "Well, the table looked pretty empty, so maybe we'll have a private breakfast."

"Tomorrow we should," Castle said. "There is room service remember."

"I remember, and I have to wonder if we'll be in same state as this morning… though why am I wondering?" she asked her husband with an amused smile as they started to serve themselves.

"Beats me, maybe we like not saying for sure if we'll be… together," Castle said, looking around them and deciding not to take a chance on anyone hearing them. "So the food looks pretty nice," he said as a distraction yet again.

Not looking at him as she knew that was rhetorical, Beckett gave him a few pancakes before she said, "I wonder what they're doing right now."

"Well," Castle said as he grabbed a glass of juice with her at the end of the buffet with her. "It's nine thirty, so Julia is hopefully at school, and my mom and Eliza are doing… whatever they're doing."

"You gave her that suggested schedule," Beckett said knowingly as they sat down at their table from the night before. "So they're what? Reading?" When he didn't answer and instead looked at her in slight surprise she said, "She showed it to me."

"I knew it," Castle said, making a face. He laughed when his wife pushed him, but didn't take her hand off his arm so he only moved as far as she wanted him to go. Once he was sitting back up he said, "Yeah, reading, is it wrong of me to do that?"

"Well, she's starting to show her intelligence," Beckett mused. "And with her recognizing a few letters already… I guess it wouldn't hurt to help her start learning now. But," she said, pointing her fork with a potato on the end of it at him. "Nothing that she can't really handle learning. So no arithmetic or writing."

"I wasn't planning on having her learn to do that yet," Castle said with a nod. "But reading's always good."

"It is," Beckett said with a smile. "What else was there on that list?"

"I thought you saw it?" Castle asked his wife.

"I saw the first thing as I was in a hurry packing," Beckett said. "Oh, and thank you for not making that too long, fifteen minutes is probably as long as Eliza's attention is going to last."

"Counting, with those plastic bears we got her," Castle said. "But only for a little. After that she can do whatever she wants to with Eliza until lunch and she'll take a nap of course. And from then until they need to pick up Julia they can read again and then play an educational game together on the computer. Or a board game, whatever they want to."

"You're a great father you know," Beckett said as he turned to her to make sure that was alright. She reached over and cupped his cheek before they leaned into one another, kissing briefly since there were others around them eating their meals as well. When they had parted she said, "Oh, look who walked in," since she was facing the doorway.

"Love," Castle said, getting her attention, as he didn't need to turn his head to see. When she looked at him he fed her a strawberry from his plate, keeping his gaze on her and hoping she'd do the same so the Golds could see. He had no idea if the couple saw them; not caring if they did or didn't; and told Beckett, "We should order these for the room."

"With some honey," she said simply, smiling when Castle nearly squished the rest of the berry that was still in his hand in response. "Eat that," she told him, gesturing to it with her chin.

Castle was quick to do as she said, before he saw another couple coming over to their table. "Good morning," he said to the Maxtones.

"Morning, I hope you two had a pleasant first night," Chelsea said, sitting with her husband.

"We did," Beckett replied. "Do they always make us sit at the same table?"

"Pretty much," William said. "Though tonight with the murder mystery they'll have everyone sitting in a half circle since there'll be less people with tickets for it."

"No dancing?" Castle asked, hoping there would be as he suddenly found he wanted to do that with his wife again.

"There will be, after the meal," Chelsea replied with a nod. "A beautiful day to be out on the lake though."

"It is, I just hope I don't get sea sick," Beckett commented.

"I have medicine," Castle said quickly to her as he recalled.

"I brought some too," William said. "I've never been that great in a boat; it's why I'm glad we don't need to take the ferries home from work."

Murmuring something, though they couldn't really agree with the sentiment, Castle and Beckett were then asked about their home by Chelsea, what it was like living in a beach house full time as they continued to eat.

"It's very nice," Beckett said, smiling when her husband nodded in agreement with her.

"What happened two years ago with that hurricane though?" William asked.

"It missed the Hamptons, which was a relief," Castle said. "But we were hunkered down in the house, windows boarded up. It scared our girls, but we made sure to keep our oldest entertained."

"Eliza too, but she was a little over a year old, so she was content to watch us play some games," Beckett said in remembrance. "What about you guys? You didn't get hit by it?"

"Oh no, we were incredibly lucky," Chelsea replied. "But our building had to undergo some renovations because of a little bit of damage. Though this is a little dark to be talking about at breakfast. I've heard that you two play polo?"

"I play on a semi-pro team in town," Castle explained. "And she and I play on a co-ed team with our neighbors and friends, the Fosters."

"David Foster?" William asked. When Castle and Beckett nodded he said, "He's running for mayor isn't he?"

"He is, we're helping him campaign a little," Beckett said. "He's the better candidate and we're not just saying that because we're friends with him and his wife."

"Is it hard to play polo?" Chelsea asked, obviously not wanting to talk about politics either.

"Depends on your position," Castle said. "But you need to be a great horse rider first off. And she's that definitely."

As Beckett rolled her eyes, Chelsea smiled and said, "You like horses?"

"I've been horse crazy since I was three," Beckett said with a sigh though she was smiling as well. "You?"

"For about as long you," Chelsea said. "And I always hoped that Santa would bring me a horse, leave it in the lobby of the building I grew up in as a kid. But no luck."

"I would do the same thing as a little girl; even when I stopped believing in Santa," Beckett said, recognizing she'd found a kindred spirit in the woman with that. "But I always looked out my bedroom window to see if there was a horse out there with a gigantic bow around its neck and an English saddle ready to go on it on the sidewalk."

Castle, watching his wife as she said that, smiled to himself before he then asked the couple about their plans once they got to the island. As they talked about taking separate excursions around the island; as the Maxtones had no interest in the lighthouse; he reached over to his wife and took her hand, squeezing it gently before they listened to the wildlife the two had found out were on Michipicoten.

* * *

"Alright, here we go," the captain of the motorboat told his passengers as they pulled away from the pier next to the stone boathouse. "Keep your faces down if you don't want to get wet," he called then as a woman cried out at the sudden spray.

Sitting close to her husband in the front row that he'd commandeered for them, Beckett wanted to take pictures of their approach to the island, but she didn't want to have to clean the lens of her camera. So since she had it, she snapped a picture with her phone as fast as she could before putting it down. "I'll have to send that to the girls later that way Julia's not the last to see it," she told Castle.

"Good idea, are you okay?" he asked her, as the wind was cold on their faces.

Smiling at his concern, Beckett nodded telling him, "I'm great, it's a refreshing breeze; like at the Cliffs of Moher." She wasn't too surprised when he reached down and kissed the back of her gloved hand at the reminder of their honeymoon, and she told him, "You?"

"Doing great," Castle echoed her. He wrapped his arm around her then, watching as she took another picture of the island looming in front of them before he saw the white tower of the lighthouse. "It's beautiful," he called.

"It is," Beckett said. "I'm glad we can go inside a little," she told him as they'd found out before setting out on the boats that they could go up to the second window on the flight of stairs inside but the remainder of the lighthouse was for employees only. "Sorry you can't go in those other buildings."

"I'll do an EVP session in the lighthouse and hope I can get something," Castle said with a shrug. He looked at his wife to see her reaction then, but wasn't too surprised when she merely took yet another picture of Michipicoten. They were nearer, so he made sure his recorder was in his pocket as they came up to the small beach that was next to the lighthouse and the captain held the boat with his assistant as they disembarked. He and William Maxtone helped the third male passenger in getting the motorboat pulled up onto the shore completely so it wouldn't be taken out into the lake, the captain thanking them. Going back to his wife, he took her hand and led her over to the lighthouse as the others from their boat and the second one that had ferried resort guests over walked to the faint path near the beach.

Walking with Castle, Beckett could see he was trying to hold back his excitement but with the way he looked at his recorder; nearly tripping if she hadn't grabbed him; he was failing miserably. She took a number of pictures looking back then toward the opposite shore, their resort building rising from the woods surrounding it, and then some of the forest covering the island. "This is pretty amazing," she said, her voice low as everything was quiet except for the lapping of the water on the shore, the water surprisingly calm.

"I know, I'm glad we could make it out here," Castle said. He grinned when his wife looked at him in surprise and told her, "We'll get inside, this is a nice, romantic moment here," as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders firmly. "I'm in no hurry to leave this view before I have some ghost adventures. Think they'd let me join them on lockdown?" he asked. When she just gave him one of her looks he said, "Then you're going to have to go on these semi-lockdowns with me love."

"Which we'll do right now; let's go," Beckett said, looking at the lighthouse then and wanting to go inside badly as her camera made its presence known in her hands; though it was just a weight she was eager to take pictures as they walked to the tower and she went in first while her husband held the door open for her.

The tower was tall, and looking up at the spiral staircase, Castle said, "I really wish we could go up."

"We're lucky we're in here at all. Come on, let's look at the view and then you can do your adventure lockdown," Beckett said, heading up the stairs. She couldn't help reach out and touch the wall as they made their way up to the second window, and stopping at it she smiled at the view saying, "As lonely as this island is, the view had to have made up for it."

"It did," Castle said, watching her take a few pictures before taking one straight up. "You know what I love though?" When Beckett looked at him questioningly he told her, "The isolation, and with as big as the island is… it's like it's your own little universe."

"Universe?" Beckett asked, amusement tingeing her voice at his word choice and enthusiasm.

"Or your own private island," Castle allowed. He smiled when his wife patted his arm and then grabbed her hand before she could turn back to the window.

"Hold on," Beckett said. "You don't think that will mess up the vibe of this building?"

"What, you don't want me to?" Castle asked, since he knew she didn't believe in what she'd said.

"Do your session and let's go, I'm eager to walk around to see what we can," Beckett urged him.

"Alright," Castle said, taking his digital recorder out of his pocket. He quickly said the date and their location before he said, walking away from her, "If there's anyone who wants to talk, you can right into this red light here. We'll be able to hear you that way."

Beckett watched her husband in amusement, not sure why he insisted on using plural when he would do that but she didn't try to stop him as they were both quiet. "Can I go downstairs?" she asked him after some time had passed.

"Sure, that's her going down," Castle said into the recorder. "And now me," he said as he followed her down since he didn't see much point in staying there. At the bottom of the stairs, he said, "Is anyone here at all…"

"Are you feeling some kind of weird thing?" Beckett asked after a long pause.

"Negative energy," Castle told her. "No, not really… alright, I guess we should just go," he said with a sigh. They left then and he asked, "If you think all of this is complete bull, why did you buy me this for my birthday?"

Smiling, Beckett said, "Because it's fun to watch you talking to nothing."

"Let's go," Castle said, pocketing his recorder and reminding himself mentally to listen to it later when he was alone. He took his wife's hand then and walked with her to the faint path, reaching into the same pocket his recorder was in to make sure he had the map they'd been given before leaving the resort.

Walking around to the northern part of the island, Beckett couldn't really see many signs of wildlife, but she still had plenty to take pictures of as there were some birds at least. She was watching what she guessed was an eagle swoop down to the water before she felt Castle grab the sleeve of her coat. Turning to him, she saw what had his attention since he was looking away from the water and inland. There in between the trees she saw a male woodland caribou feeding from the ground before a few females came up behind him. She was quick to take pictures; relieved she'd muted the sounds on her camera as soon after the caribou looked their way and then trotted away. "Wow," she was finally able to say when she and Castle looked at each other.

"Did you get any pictures?" he asked her interestedly.

"A few, the girls are going to love seeing that," Beckett replied, looking at the screen of her camera.

"They will, they came out great," Castle said, looking down with her. "You're a great photographer Kate."

"Thank you, I-" she started to say before the walkie-talkie she had came to life with a crackle of static.

"Everyone come back to the boats, that snowstorm's fast approaching," the captain of their boat said. "Come back immediately before we get caught here for the night."

"Well, we got to see a pretty good part of the island, and some caribou, so I'm happy," Castle said as he and Beckett started to walk back. Since they were walking quickly he could take his wife's hand as she wasn't taking pictures and they were the first to reach the boat. "Where's the storm?" he asked the men waiting for them.

When the captain turned to the northwest and pointed, Beckett sucked in a deep breath as she saw the menacing clouds seeming to approach rapidly. She turned back to the water and said, "Will we make it back in time?"

"If everyone gets here in time," the captain said as the Maxtones and another couple reached them. "Stand with the boat you came in so we can count off easier," he told them. It took another ten minutes, but he called to the other driver of the other boat, "I have everyone."

"Me too, everyone in," the other man said.

Once the boats were heading back to the resort's pier, Castle held Beckett close to him as the wind had picked up, making her shiver slightly though he could tell she was trying to control it and the water was a little choppy as compared to their trip that morning. He glanced back every so often to watch the clouds coming closer, but it looked like they'd made it in time as they were able to get off and the workers got the boats into the boathouse before a single flake of snow fell. When he and his wife were inside the building he said, "So since we have the time now do you want to go through the conservatory?"

Looking at her watch Beckett nodded before telling him, "We have time for something else too."

"The baths?" Castle asked. He wasn't surprised when she shook her head once, and then said, "Why not?"

"I'd rather keep you to myself for that," Beckett said with a slight smirk on her face. "No, what I'd love to do is either skate or play on the miniature golf course."

"We couldn't do both?" Castle said.

"Let's see what we feel like after the conservatory," Beckett said with a smile. They went to the concierge who took their outer layers for them and she took Castle's hand as they went across the lobby to the ballroom. "Looks like the Maxtones were right about the seating," she said, as there were workers setting the chairs around the tables in a half circle in the same direction.

"You know, I have to admit I love that name," Castle said after he'd nodded at her comment.

"What name?" Beckett asked.

"Maxtone," Castle replied.

"You want to use it in a book," Beckett said in amusement as they entered the conservatory.

"Maybe, we'll see," Castle said as he watched her set up a shot of some orchids. "A lot better during the day," he said as he walked behind her.

"I know and you were right, better we waited to come when no one was trying to solicit us," Becket said, glancing over her shoulder at him. She smiled when he just looked at her and she turned back to the flowers in front of them, taking a picture looking up suddenly when she noticed it was snowing.

"That'll be a nice one," Castle said, looking up with her and seeing what she'd likely managed to capture. "And great we made it back."

"Though you know," Beckett said as they went down another path. "I don't think it would've been too bad staying on the island overnight. You could have done more investigating," she joked.

"One of these days I'll get a class A EVP, and what are you going to say to me then?" Castle asked her.

"You'd have to wait until that day comes," Beckett said simply. She walked ahead of him, taking more pictures of more orchids before he caught up to her. She took his hand as they rounded a path, and she looked at him saying, "Maybe we could work in both."

"Both what?" Castle asked. "Oh, skating and golf. You know it surprises me you want to play mini-golf." At her look he smiled saying, "Just because I didn't imagine you would."

"What, you expected me to let you play with Julia and Eliza by yourself?" Beckett asked since they'd taken their daughters to a course nearest their home a number of times before. "What kind of mother would I be if I did that?" she asked him.

"Also surprises me that you're pretty good," Castle said.

"Do you remember the guy I've talked about that was my friend at the Academy?" Beckett asked him. "Darnley?" When he nodded she continued saying, "We would go out sometimes, play a round at a family fun center outside the city and have a beer before racing in the go-karts. He was a nice guy," a slight smile on her face in remembrance. She looked at her husband and reminded him, "He was gay remember? Those nights out actually helped him, he didn't want people then finding out about him, so I helped them think we had some kind of thing going on."

"He's in DC you said?" Castle said as they had reached where they'd come in. When he saw the nostalgic smile on his wife's face he asked, "Would you want to go down there for a trip? Maybe see him again?"

"Maybe," Beckett said. "I would love to know how he's doing." When they stepped out into the ballroom she then said, "For now though, let's play a round and then we'll skate before heading back to our room."

The small course was off of the lobby, and Castle said to his wife, "You don't want to leave your camera with our stuff?"

"No, I'm bringing it with me," Beckett said simply. "I told Julia I'd take pictures."

"And in this case pictures of me playing," Castle said.

"I wasn't the one that smacked my golf ball into the windmill," Beckett replied with a smirk.

"Hey, that was a onetime thing," Castle told her as he opened the door to the course. "Wow, I wasn't expecting this," he said when they saw the course was decorated with natural formations and real trees as the room was a greenhouse like the conservatory. "Not a windmill in sight." He noticed the look on his wife's face, seeing a look of nostalgia there. "Still want to play?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's get the clubs," Beckett replied, shaking her memories from her mind. She followed him to the desk where a worker was reading a book to get their equipment.

"Oh, hello," the man said, looking up and seeing them. "Sorry about that, it's been pretty slow today."

"Anyone else in here now?" Castle asked after he showed the keycard that had their room number on it to the man.

"Actually you'll be on your own," the man said, handing over two putters and a blue and a green golf ball. "Enjoy," he said, handing over a scorecard next.

"We won't need that," Beckett told him, taking Castle's wrist before he could grab it. "Come on."

"It's just the two of us love," Castle said as they went to the first hole, which had a path going through a tunnel in a pine tree.

"I know, I was just remembering Darnley and I playing; we wouldn't use a card," Beckett said with a slight smile as she set her ball down. "He hated keeping score, said it ruined the fun of a game."

"Sounds like he was a nice guy," Castle said, watching her with a smile. "You're sure he was gay?"

Shooting him a look, Beckett then nodded before she hit the ball and said, "I actually let him know I knew on our first trip to that family fun center. Shocked and then scared him because he thought I was angry at him, but after he realized I wasn't judging him, he relaxed."

"Why don't you get in contact with him?" Castle asked after hitting his ball and nearly getting a hole in one.

"I wouldn't know where to start," Beckett said with a shrug. "Plus I'm sure he doesn't remember me."

"I would," Castle said. "Hard to forget someone like you."

"No need to kiss my ass Castle," Beckett told him wryly. "And you wouldn't forget me because you never went away from me long enough to."

"You're right," Castle said as they moved to the second hole once Beckett hit her ball on her second try in. He watched her take a few pictures of the tiny pond and waterfall there and stepped close to her as she set her camera aside on a bench.

"What?" Beckett asked with a slight smile as she straightened up to find him face to face with her. When he leaned down and took her lips, she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her putter fall to the ground. She felt Castle's arms around her and guessed he'd ditched his as well, though that was a fleeting thought as she was responding to her husband's lips hungry on hers as soon as she could. She was going to part her lips, but quickly pulled back and said, "Sorry, I forgot… we weren't in our room."

"Not a problem, I did too," Castle said. "Here," he said as he picked up the putters and gave her hers. "You're first."

"Well, since I already set up my shot, sure," Beckett said with a smile. She hit the ball, and she walked down to the other end while Castle set up his golf ball. She couldn't help remember when she had been playing with Darnley, smiling as her friend had been a golfer as her husband was, and she could nearly see him there hitting the ball their first time playing together.

* * *

_"Damn it," Darnley muttered as his ball hit the edge, far away from the hole. "Alright, your turn."_

_"I don't know why you won't keep score," Beckett said, smiling at him._

_"I'd be losing," Darnley pointed out. "It's been a long time since I played this type of golf."_

_"I can tell, but you know it's been the same for me too," Beckett replied as she hit her golf ball and managed to get close to a hole in one._

_"Are you sure?" Darnley asked, going and trying to touch her back as she went to hit her ball in. But the pass was a little clumsy and when she looked at him he muttered an apology before going to his ball to hit it in._

_"Let's get a drink," Beckett said, studying him then as he stood back up._

_"Yeah, sounds great," Darnley told her before they went to the bar across the street._

_"So," Beckett said as they went outside with their beers. "I'm wondering why you've been acting weird lately Darnley."_

_"I haven't been acting weird," he protested. But when she just looked at him he said, "I… I was trying…"_

_Looking around them, Beckett then put her hand on his arm and said, "Are you gay?" in a low voice._

_Darnley looked at her with wide eyes and was about to protest when he saw her expression, it was an understanding one and he realized her hand was still on his arm. "Yeah, how did you know?" he asked her._

_"More the fact you've been asking me to dinners, but in such a way the guys in our class think they're dates," Beckett said. "You've done that before. But I don't mind if it helps you out. If it does then by all means you can keep doing that."_

_"You don't need to," Darnley told her._

_"It's not a problem," Beckett replied. "So, what do you think you're going to do when we graduate?"_

_Reaching over to her, Darnley squeezed her hand in silent thanks before he said in reply to her question, "I might head down to DC, but I'd like to get a little experience with the NYPD if they'll accept me."_

_"They will," Beckett replied. She then talked about their weapons training they'd had two days before to put her friend at ease before she suggested a race back at the go-karts._

* * *

"Okay, if we were keeping score," Castle said at the seventh hole and his wife had just gotten a hole in one. "You'd be winning by more than me."

Smiling a little as she had just been thinking of her old friend saying that, Beckett said, "You've been getting some good scores yourself. And besides, this is just for fun."

"I know," Castle said, smiling at her. He took his turn next and managed to get a hole in one as well saying, "Well, maybe we're about even."

Shaking her head, Beckett took his hand and pulled him to the next hole, taking another picture; as she'd been doing through the whole game. Each obstacle had been a part of a landscape and she knew their daughters would love seeing it, so she took as many photographs as she could before she took her turn. She stood by watching Castle take a shot and she smiled when he made it up the hill where the hole was placed in the middle and got a hole in one. "Still even?" she asked as she took her turn and it took three more tries for her to sink the ball.

"Actually, I think so," Castle told her as they went to the last hole. "Remember that weird metal obstacle?"

"I remember," Beckett said, as that had been the fifth one and where her husband had taken five shots. "Well, let's just say," she began before she hit her golf ball and sank it into the hole as it was an easier shot. "That we've had fun."

"Good idea," Castle told her after he managed a hole in one as well. "Let's go skating."

Taking his hand that he held out to her, Beckett let him set down the clubs where they'd gotten them near the entrance, the worker still there still reading his book as they were the only ones there. Going over to the concierge again, they picked up the jackets they'd worn to the island under their coats before heading to the ice rink. They were surprised to find only a few couples there, and they glanced at each other before going to get skates.

"Let me," Castle said, kneeling in front of his wife when she finished taking off her shoes on a bench.

"Rick," Beckett said warningly though there was a smile on her face as he picked up her leg so he could get the black skate on her foot.

Looking up at her, Castle had to pause seeing the expression on his wife's face and leaned up enough to reach her lips. He wasn't too surprised when she kissed him back right away; even though she hadn't wanted him to go too far with simply helping her with the skates. He felt her hand cupping his cheek and he had to struggle a little to make himself pull away from her before he finished saying, " _You are hard to resist love_ ," just as the last couple left on the rink came to the benches near them and started taking their skates off.

"Vice versa," Beckett said in English, not surprised her husband looked up at her quickly at that. " _But you know we have the opportunity for a long time_ ," she continued. She wasn't sure if he was going to stop and take her back to their room with him seemingly frozen where he was, but he then sat next to her and hurriedly threw on his skates before walking with her to the ice.

Taking her hand in his tightly as they'd opted not to wear gloves, Castle kept his wife close as they started to go around the edge of the rink. They didn't say anything to one another even when they were relatively alone; only a worker at the skates stall there; but seeing the look on her face he had to finally break the silence. "Why didn't we just go back up?"

"I don't know," Beckett said with a laugh. "I feel like doing this another day," she finally said. "Come on."

Getting their skates off seemed to take a lot longer for Castle and Beckett, but they were soon handing them back at the stall and after getting the rest of their things from the concierge they were going up to their room. Walking down the hall, they turned the corner and were surprised to find the activities director and the couple from the night before at the door to the suite two doors down from their own.

"And doing that out in the hall, you have a bedroom in there, I suggest you use it," Hill was saying, pointing at Dennis.

"Oh shut up you prick, we'll do whenever the hell we want, wherever we want," he said, shoving the man in the shoulder before he and his fiancée went back into their suite.

Not looking over at the confrontation as Castle was opening the door, Beckett dared a glance over at Hill, not surprised to see his jaw clenched before he stalked their way, pausing.

"Go into your suite if you're going to do the same!" Hill literally yelled though he wasn't looking at Castle and Beckett.

Before he could say anything; or before his wife could either; Castle watched with her as Hill stalked around the corner and said, "Well, that was unpleasant."

"Come on, we should go inside anyways," Beckett said as she went inside ahead of him. "He needs a girlfriend."

"Or boyfriend," Castle told her. When she looked at him he nodded saying, "You couldn't tell?"

"Well, then he just needs to have sex of some kind, it might make him a little less uptight," Beckett said. "But I have to wonder what they were doing that made him react in that way."

"Good question, unless he has it out for them because they were late to the dinner last night," Castle pointed out as they hung up their outer layers in the outside closet.

"Most likely," Beckett said with a slight smile on her face. "Now though…"

"Yes?" Castle asked, pretending to be clueless as to what she was hinting at. He wrapped his arms around her when she kissed him, hugging her tightly, and he let that go on for as long as it could before he was picking her up. And as she pressed quick kisses to his lips, he took her into the bedroom, not bothering with the door behind them, as it was only the two of them while he laid her down gently on the bed, following her with a passionate kiss.

* * *

"How's the book so far?" broke into Beckett's mind as she was reading. She looked up at Castle as she sat down on the couch next to her and she smiled as he didn't bother to wait for her to answer as he started to tug on the blanket wrapped around her. "It's not too bad, but I wonder if she'll be okay reading about this character's father dying," she said.

"I think Julia understands a little more about that," Castle said as he took the other half of the blanket and wrapped it around himself, leaning against her as he did. "Remember Kauai?"

"I do," Beckett said, nodding at the memory. "But that's a little different from this."

"True, but I think she could handle it and if we need to we can read that with her," Castle suggested.

"Good idea, we probably should," Beckett replied before she looked at her watch. "Okay, so I need to get changed and-" she began.

"No shower?" Castle asked her pleadingly.

"We had one," Beckett said though she knew he was only joking. "Stay here until I'm done."

"What you're not closing the door?" Castle said as he watched her walk into the bedroom.

"Not really, why would I need to hide myself changing?" Beckett asked him simply. "I just don't want you to be tempted to start over again."

"I'll behave, besides," Castle replied as he stood, setting the blanket aside before we went into the room with her. "I have to change too."

Beckett smiled before she took off her pajamas she'd changed into after their shower. She glanced at the bed as she removed her bra and couldn't help let that smile grow a little wider as she remembered their lovemaking a few hours before. She stepped into her dress half naked then, and came back to the present with the knowledge that her husband was staring at her. She was turned away from him, but could feel his gaze nearly burning her back. She didn't mind it, because she was able to tell him, "I need your help."

"Sure," Castle said; since he had been staring as his wife had thought. He went to her, zipping up the dress and he couldn't help running his hands down her back when he'd finished saying, "You look amazing in this dress."

"Are you as surprised as I am that it still fits?" Beckett asked him with a small smile.

"Not really, you know a lot of people ask if you really gave birth to Eliza," Castle pointed out to her as she turned to him. "So I don't think they're able to tell. Why the sudden doubt?"

"Not doubt, just remembering something Jenny told me after she gave birth to our godson. Unofficial godson though Ryan really tried to get us to prove we were Catholic somehow," Beckett said with a smile.

"But he's still our godson in Ryan and Jenny's eyes. But what did she say to you love?" Castle asked.

"That she was jealous of me, because I hadn't looked like I'd given birth," Beckett said. "I thought she was out of her mind, but then she started bemoaning the fact her hips were wider and she was heavier and I had to calm her down telling her Ryan loved her still and thought she was beautiful. And then I remembered my friend Susie."

"Yeah, the one who was at our wedding," Castle said. "I remember her."

"She was the first of our group of friends in high school to have a baby," Beckett said. "Does she look like she's had one… or three?"

"Not really," Castle said. "So that's different for women too."

"I think so," Beckett said, looking down at herself in her dress she'd worn in Ireland at the Adare Manor for their first dinner there. "So again, there's surprise because I've had this dress for three years now. And another surprise, you're still having that reaction," she told him, a little smirk on her face as she studied him.

"Oh, you could be wearing nothing right now and it'd be the same reaction," Castle said simply as he started to wrap his arm around her waist before she suddenly pressed her hands against his chest.

"Uh-uh love, get dressed and we need to go," Beckett told him simply. "And, we have to call our daughters before we leave. Unless you'd prefer to leave early and then call them after." She bit back her laughter when her husband quickly turned to the dresser to take out his suit for that night, and she went into the bathroom to put up her hair.

"I wish you'd have brought that comb," Castle said as she came back out and he was about to put on his tie.

"I didn't want to worry about breaking it," Beckett said simply as she went to a flat comb with only the barest curve in it that had three aquamarines on it on the dresser; a Valentine's Day gift from her husband the year after Eliza had been born. She tucked it into her hair against the back of her head, and smiled as Castle came up next to her saying, "I'll put my heels on in a second."

"Not yet, can I put on the necklace for you?" he asked.

"After this is on," Beckett said, turning to him and taking his tie. She wrapped it around his neck and made the knot, pushing it up to his neck as she said, "If you want, you can help me with my heels."

"You think if couples would help each other dress they'd stay together longer?" Castle asked, nodding once in response to that.

"I don't know, it depends on if they made it romantic while they did that," Beckett said, waiting for him to get her aquamarine necklace. She watched in the mirror as his reflection took off her pendant, and she set it down before feeling the cool silver chain of the necklace coming around her neck. She touched the lone gemstone hanging over the top of the neckline of her dress and she turned to him once it was clasped in place.

"Wait, one second," Castle told her quickly before she could do anything else. He took her hand and drew her over to the bed, getting her shoes as she sat.

"You have a fetish with my feet too," Beckett couldn't help tease him as he ran his hand underneath her right foot, holding it up.

"Not really," Castle said. "You just have delicate feet, they fascinate me sometimes. But I love getting them into the heel; another romantic experience for us," he said as he had her foot in the first one. "These are new aren't they?" he asked.

"I thought you might like the style," Beckett said as he held the ribbons attached to the back of the shoe. "Here, let me show you because I get the feeling this isn't going to be the last time you do this. Watch," she told him before she instructed him in how to cross the ribbons together to about an inch above her ankle before she tied a small knot at the back. "There, try with the other," she said as he got the other heel on her foot. She smiled at his obvious concentration and asked, "You've never put these kinds of shoes on a woman?"

"Putting on shoes wasn't something I did," Castle said.

"Ah, you took them off," Beckett said in understanding, smiling when he winced for a second. "You know, I'd be jealous," she said as he got up to sit on the bed next to her when her heel was tied in place. She was leaning back on her hands before she told him, "But I know where you want to be tonight, and you won't want to remember your past."

"Yeah, you make a great point," Castle said, leaning over and kissing her. Since his wife had lipstick on, he could only brush his lips against hers, which he did a few times before making himself stay away from her. "Again?" he asked when she looked at him and then laughed softly.

"Come on, we need to call the girls and your mom anyways," Beckett said, going to grab a tissue before they went outside to the main room where Castle got the Skype set up to call their family on his tablet. "Hi Julia, Eliza, how are you?" she asked their daughters first as they appeared in front of them, Martha behind them on the coffee table again.

"Hi Mommy! Daddy too!" Eliza cried, opening and closing her hands to them both.

"Thank you sweetheart," Castle said with a slight laugh. "You're doing good though, right?"

"We are," Julia said with a smile as she stopped her little sister's hand carefully. "We had fun today."

"Doing what?" Beckett asked.

"Well, at school it was fun and then after we played outside for a little before Gram said it was too cold for Eliza," Julia said. "Then we had hot chocolate, I gave Eliza some sips of mine."

"They're doing well," Martha said from behind as she saw Beckett's eyes going in her direction. "Everything's fine," she told her son and daughter in law, as she knew they were wondering if anything might happen to the girls while they were gone; and had told her to keep an eye out for that. "And after our hot chocolate, Eliza and I helped Julia with her homework so tonight we can watch whatever movie they pick together."

"Okay," Beckett said with a smile as her youngest daughter looked eager at that. "It sounds like you two are behaving for your gram, which we appreciate. Now, you want to know what we've been doing?"

"Yes please," Julia said immediately and excitedly. "We saw the picture you sent us."

"That was good," Eliza said quickly. "Of you and Daddy."

Smiling as he remembered taking the selfie with his wife as they'd been walking on the island, Castle said, "We went to where we took that picture, Michipicoten Island, and we looked at the lighthouse, very quickly. Then we walked around a little and saw some caribou really quickly before they left."

"Moose?" Eliza asked.

"No, they're like reindeer," Beckett replied. "They were very pretty, and we saw some birds; not many since most of them have gone south for the winter by now. But I did manage to get a picture of an eagle getting its dinner."

"How fun. Did you go over the whole island?" Julia said.

"No, we had to go back to the boats since a storm was coming up, but we managed to beat it," Castle told them. "So with the rest of the afternoon free, your mommy and I played miniature golf and then skated for a little before we took a nap."

Smiling at his description of their love making; though they had napped briefly afterwards; Beckett said in reply to their youngest's question as to if it had been fun, "Of course it was and I took some pictures of the course for you two to see. So now we're ready to go down to the mystery dinner."

"You'll know the answer already Mommy, Daddy," Julia said confidently.

"We'll see," Castle said, sharing a smile with his wife at that. "But for now we'll let you two go, so you can have dinner and get to watch that movie before going to bed. I'm not sure about calling tomorrow Mother," he told her. "The storm has been steadily getting worse, but we're staying here in the hotel so we'll call you the second we can."

"Right, stay warm then, both of you," Martha said, studying the two on the screen closely, but not able to tell if they were okay relationship wise; which she hadn't expected to, but had been hoping. "Have fun and goodnight."

"Night Mommy, Daddy, love you!" Eliza exclaimed.

"Love you Eliza," Beckett said, blowing a kiss to her to her giggle.

"I love you too sweetheart," Castle said, waving to her.

"And I love you Mommy, Daddy," Julia said, waving to them.

"We love you sweetie," Beckett told her, blowing another kiss to her to Julia's pleased smile.

"A lot Julia," Castle told her. "Goodnight you two, sleep tight."

"Sweet dreams," Beckett said to them before the girls said a last goodbye and then hung up. "Okay, let's go," she said, standing up as he turned the tablet off.

When they got to the door Castle stopped his wife and pulled her into his arms, kissing her as deeply as he could. He was pleased when there was no protest to that, and he kept it going for as long as he could until they had to breathe. "Needed to do that one time before we left," he told her.

"Hmm, I'm glad you did," Beckett said, brushing her lips against his. They shared a brief kiss before they left the room, her fingers entwined with Castle's as they headed to the elevator and he used the tissue still in his hands to wipe off her lipstick while she reapplied.

Down in the ballroom, Castle wasn't that surprised to find name cards on the place settings yet again, and he glanced around the room, soon seeing the activities director talking with a waiter at the door leading to the kitchens. He looked at Beckett and saw she was watching him before he said, "Just wondering."

"Let's sit," Beckett told him, leading him to their table. When they'd reached it she smiled at the other couples from their floor there already and then saw that the Maxtones were nearby. "I guess they didn't get tickets," she murmured to him.

"Well, it'll be nice not to have to see him trying to shove his tongue down her throat," Castle said as quietly as he could into her ear while he drew her chair out for her. He sat next to her as Hill started calling to everyone to sit as the dinner was about to start.

"Great to see you two again," William Maxtone said as he helped his wife into her chair. "How was your day after the island?"

"Not too bad, we tried out the golf course, and a little bit of skating," Castle said.

"We'll have to try that if the snow hasn't let up yet," Chelsea said to her husband. "We were in the baths, but it got a little crowded because everyone seemed to want to go there."

"We figured when we were alone when we golfed and then eventually were when we skated," Beckett said before they needed to order their dinners from the menu provided. "When is the murder mystery part of this?" she asked when the waiter had left.

"After, and before dessert," Chelsea said. "I'm surprised you both wanted to come to this, isn't this what you used to do?"

"Well, the solving the murder part," Castle said. "But the theater part of it, not so much. Do we get a chance to solve it?"

"We're allowed to discuss it in the break between the second to last act and then the last one," William answered. "And then see if we're right about the murderer."

"Should be interesting," Beckett said as their drinks were served. She then touched Castle's arm as the Maxtones started to talk between themselves and when he leaned over to her she told him, "I think we should maybe use this in a book."

"Which one?" Castle asked.

"Well, since we have the fourth already going, how about the fifth?" Beckett said.

"Have Moor and Green go to a murder mystery dinner together?" Castle said.

"We could have there be some murders at these dinners, so they go undercover-" Beckett started to say.

"As a couple and they discover who it is," Castle continued, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"What?" Beckett asked. "You got the title already?"

"I do," Castle said. " _Beneath this Mask_. What do you think?"

"It could work," Beckett replied with a slight smile as her husband had been using lyrics of songs for their titles; since he couldn't use the words Moor and Green in the titles as he had for Storm and Heat. She didn't mind that actually, as it gave a little space between his books and theirs in her mind. "But we can talk about that later," she told him as dinner was being served through the room. "Now, let's talk a little about Christmas."

"Yes, why?" Castle asked. "We're not set on that yet?"

"I'm still not sure about that pony you want to get Eliza," Beckett replied as they began to eat.

"Well you won't let me get a real pony for the girls, so I figure that's the best I can do," Castle replied.

"No pony," Beckett said firmly but with a smile on her face. "I'm thinking of something else though, for the girls and actually Alexis too."

Studying his wife's face then, Castle realized what she was talking about and said, "A puppy? Really?"

"Remember our shared custody of Royal?" Beckett said smiling a little. "By the way, nice way to sneak in seeing me more outside of the station with him."

"I did what I could," Castle said. "But I didn't set out doing that."

"Anyways, I liked having a dog for that short period of time. But I really knew it wasn't feasible for me to get a dog for Julia because look at how often we were home and then we basically moved into the loft, it just wouldn't have worked," Beckett told him. "But now with Eliza a little older, and us at home most of the time…"

"That's going to be a fantastic gift," Castle said earnestly. "For the girls too, they'll love it. What do you want to get?"

Smiling a little wider as it wasn't hard to hear the enthusiasm in his voice, Beckett said, "I have an idea of what I want. But you?"

"I think we're thinking of the same kind of dog," Castle said, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Irish Wolfhound?"

Nodding a little Beckett said, "I'm just not sure if we can manage to get one in time for Christmas."

"Don't get mad at me," Castle then began. "But last month I decided that we should have a dog and to get one for Christmas for you all."

"And also because giving it to us at Christmas I'd have less chance to protest a dog," Beckett said wryly.

"Something like that," Castle said before he laughed slightly when she pushed his shoulder. "Anyways, there's a breeder north of the city and they had a litter on the first of March, and I told them to hold one for us."

"Boy or girl?" Beckett asked.

"Boy, I figured that'd be okay," Castle said, studying her.

"I could care less," Beckett replied.

"True," Castle said, as he smiled at her. "So, we're going to have a dog now."

"We are," Beckett said with a slight smile. When her husband asked her if she was okay she nodded telling him, "I am, just thinking about how I never saw my life getting to this point. And keep in mind I'm thinking of myself before we got together."

"Yeah, when I wrote my first book and got my first payment, I thought I'd be with women and on my own most of the time," Castle said thoughtfully. "I don't have any regrets though," he quickly told her.

"Neither do I," Beckett said, as he still tried to make sure every once in a while that she didn't hate how her life had gone with him. "Now though, tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow," Castle said, glancing to the windows near them. "I'm not sure," he said honestly as it was still snowing and heavily though it luckily hadn't turned into a blizzard.

"Well, let's see how we feel when we wake up tomorrow," Beckett said as they finished their food. "Whenever that is," she murmured, smiling when her husband looked at her right away.

As the waiters were clearing their table, Castle reached over to take Beckett's hand before the lights dimmed over the dance floor and Hill came out into a spotlight.

Nudging her husband as he groaned at the sight of the man, Beckett wrapped her arm around his before taking his hand as the activities director began to speak.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we have here for you tonight a chilling case of betrayal and murder and we hope you can find our killer before they find another victim," Hill said.

Glancing at her husband, Beckett wasn't too surprised to see him rolling his eyes and she leaned over telling him, "Don't tell your mother about the acting."

"Hopefully the rest doing the actual play are better," Castle whispered back.

Watching the little play about a man murdered with poisoned eye drops, Castle and Beckett found themselves enjoying the story as they hadn't expected the murder weapon to be that. In between the last two acts they turned to the others at the table, who they were startled to see were looking at them.

"Um, maybe you should all say what you think first," Castle said, looking at his wife.

"Alright, I think it's the niece," a woman near the other the other end of the half circle of chairs said. "She has motive, since she's in his will."

Smiling as a few others agreed with her, Beckett hid that by pressing her mouth to Castle's shoulder before the others who didn't agree started blaming the nephew, and a few others said it was the man's wife. "So you'd like us to say what we think?" she asked when they all looked to her and her husband again.

"That would be nice," a man said.

"Well of course we don't know who exactly the killer is," Castle started. "We have an idea."

"How do you have an idea?" Chelsea asked then. "I haven't heard you two say a word to each other this whole time."

"We have other ways of communicating," Beckett said.

"Almost supernatura- ow," Castle said when she nudged his side again. "She's right, we've got that. Anyways, look at the list of suspects first the wife; too obvious and she's getting nothing and she knows that already since she's cheating evidently with the doctor. Two, the doctor, he'd likely lose his license if his patient died directly because of him, and if he's using the wife to get to the victim's money, then he's not listening since he was in the scene when they discussed the will."

"Third, the nephew gets nothing so it'd be pointless for him to try to kill his uncle," Beckett picked up for him. "And fourth the niece gets nothing either." At the protest from the others she shared a smile with Castle and said, "In this last act, when the lights came up he was signing a paper, and he raised it a little."

"Bold calligraphic letters saying will," Castle said. "So he's signed someone else into it. And it's," he said, nodding to the stage.

"The nurse," William Maxtone said in realization since she'd been in the scene when it'd begun before the others came inside the "room".

"The nurse," Beckett said with a nod. "So there you go. But again, there could be a nice twist and it's the nephew."

"I was thinking that too, as a story that'd be good though I still lean towards the nurse," Castle said, not surprised when his wife nodded. He was going to say something else when there was the ringing of a bell and he looked over to the dance floor, seeing it was Hill. He and Beckett exchanged a look, rolling their eyes at that before they settled back into their chairs to see if they'd been right.

When the nurse was "arrested" by two Mounties; since the play was supposed to have taken place in the thirties; Castle and Beckett could see the others out of the corners of their eyes glancing at them. They squeezed each other's hand before they applauded for the actors and Hill announced they would be able to dance and that there would be a table with desserts for them.

"Glad we're not getting rusty at that," Castle said as he and his wife faced each other.

"Our second jobs are consultants to the Hamptons PD," Beckett said with a smile. "So we'll probably keep our abilities sharp as you like to say."

"And I'd like to say now," Castle said, as music started to play. "That I want to dance with you, badly my love."

"So do I," Beckett said, letting him take her hand as he stood up. She followed him out to the dance floor, and that time they didn't bother to start out as they had when they'd danced the night before, instead wrapping their arms tightly around each other, not surprised at the glances from some of the couples around them. She didn't care at their looks since she didn't see a reason why she and Castle couldn't dance that way. She pressed her cheek to his and whispered, "We shouldn't stay too long."

"Why not?" Castle asked, smiling when his wife pulled her head back to look at him. "I'm kidding," he told her quickly, bringing her back to him. "And I agree, but we should stay a little longer."

"Just a little," Beckett said, closing her eyes for a moment.

Turning his head slightly to press a kiss to the side of her head, Castle saw the Golds standing near the dessert table, staring at him and his wife. He made an annoyed sound in the back of throat and when his wife was quick to ask him if he was okay he said, "They're watching us."

"They…" Beckett said, glancing over and seeing the couple then. She turned back to Castle and rolled her eyes saying, "We're going to need to stay together."

"You mind?" he asked her.

"Not really, I mean, that's why we're here," Beckett said with a smile. The song they were dancing to then ended and she stayed in his arms before the next one started, not wanting to give the couple; or any others for that matter; to split them up. It worked, as she danced the next three songs with him until they decided to get dessert together.

"I'm thinking of ducking into the conservatory," Castle told her once they'd gotten what they wanted onto a plate.

"Have people been going in there?" Beckett asked him, following him over to it.

"Not that I've seen," Castle said as they went inside. "Believe me, I don't want to stumble on anyone trying to be private… though I get the feeling Hill is coming in here every so often and chasing those couples off."

"I'll agree," Beckett said. They were both quiet then and she had to think they were alone as it was silent in the room. Looking around, she pulled him to the next path over and sat on a bench by a large cluster of orchids. "I have to admit," she said as she held up the glass of champagne they'd gotten from the bar next to the dessert table. "This has been a great trip so far."

"Yeah, it has, I kind of wish we could do this more, but then I think about the girls… it's hard to leave them," Castle admitted.

"I think we can do this once, maybe twice a year," Beckett pointed out. "But any more than that and we're really not being good parents."

"Good parents," Castle said in a mock scoffing tone. "You mean great parents."

"And there's your ego peeking out again," Beckett said with a suffering sigh; though she didn't mean it.

"Oh it is," Castle said, looking down at his groin. He laughed when Beckett pushed him and he said, "Then why don't we have a toast to us and our future trips with just the two of us."

Beckett tapped her glass to his, and after they'd taken a sip she picked up the chocolate covered strawberry her husband had gotten for her at the chocolate fountain. "Pretty elaborate," she commented. When Castle looked at her she smiled saying, "The desserts."

"Not bad though, considering how exclusive this place is," he said.

"How did you find it?" Beckett asked.

"David and Rebecca," Castle said. "They haven't been here, they got a brochure through the mail for… some reason and they showed it to me."

"We'll have to thank them," Beckett said with a smile before she put the strawberry to his lips, making him take a bite of it. She ran her thumb along his bottom lip to wipe away the juice there and said, "Not bad?"

"Try," Castle said with a shrug before she rolled her eyes at him. As she was doing that he grabbed the berry still in her hand and fed the rest to her, watching her closely. As soon as she had finished, he leaned in to her and took her lips, not all that surprised that she had expected him as she wrapped her arms around him tightly while responding to him.

Unknown to the two as they proceeded to kiss deeply, the Golds had followed them into the conservatory, about to come up to them to try and get them to agree to a night with them again. But when they saw the two feeding one another and then kissing, they shared a frustrated glance, leaving to try and find another couple as they gave up on trying to convince Castle and Beckett to join them.

Parting from him, Beckett told her husband, "Maybe we should head back up to our room, I don't really feel like dancing again." She looked down at their plate and said with a smile, "We can bring this up with us, come on."

"Right," Castle said, standing with her. "But you don't think that Hill would freak out about that?"

"They'll get the plate back," Beckett said, shaking her head at the thought of the man trying to stop them. "Let's go Rick."

Hearing the tone of his wife's voice, Castle gave a slight nod; though he was ready to follow her. They made their way through the ballroom without any problems, and went into the lobby where the guests that hadn't gotten tickets to the dinner were walking around between the café and other rooms on the ground floor. "I wonder if they'd be outside if it wasn't snowing," he said, remembering something then.

"Maybe," Beckett said before she tugged on his hand and pulled him into one of the elevators that had stopped. She was relieved when they found themselves alone in it and she leaned against him during the rest of the ride up as he wrapped his arm around her; the other still holding the plate.

"Easier to do this," Castle said suddenly, thinking the same as his wife as he leaned down to her then. But just as they were about to kiss, the doors opened with a ping and he had to clench his jaw before he let out a heavy curse in annoyance.

"I'm sorry love, but we're almost there," Beckett assured him as she took his hand and led him out into the hall. They walked around the corner and down to the end of that hall; since their suite was a corner one. She was able to reach into his jacket pocket where he was keeping their keycard and was going to open the door when she heard something break with a muffled shattering sound down the hall.

A second later Dennis and Lake were running towards them, but they stopped, hitting the wall opposite of the wall where the doors to the suites were, but they did manage to topple another vase from a table, making it shatter, the sound muffled on the carpet. The couple kissed wildly for a moment, and then hurried down until they got to their door, still kissing.

"Wow, I don't think they're going to get their security deposit back," Castle commented as Dennis slammed the door behind him. "And Hill is going to kill them when he sees the mess they made."

"Let them worry about that," Beckett said, smiling as at that point her husband was wrapping his arm around her. She unlocked the door and once they were inside, she let him take the plate into the bedroom as she went to the window, looking out. But since the snow was falling harder, all she saw were the flakes in front of her on the wind, though that didn't make for a bad view either.

Coming up to her, Castle made Beckett turn around before he crushed her lips with his, wanting to surprise her. Though she took a moment to respond, he was relieved when she started to, as he didn't want her pulling away and stopping him. He started to take her to the bedroom, but the first step he took seemed to take too long and nearly broke them apart, so he decided they had a flat surface close enough where they were at that moment.

When Castle's hands were pulling up her skirt, Beckett moaned softly before her eyes shot open and she moved back, looking into his eyes. "The bed…" she started to say before she trailed off. She forgot about that as he turned her around, not roughly but enough so she was aware of what he wanted. As he removed her panties she found her heart was beating frantically in anticipation and she bent over the table that was next to them as soon as he touched her back. "Wait, let me have this at least," she told him, turning to him.

Castle was going to stop her, but with the way she was wildly opening his trousers and then his boxers, he couldn't. She was too determined and in the end he found he preferred her doing that. Finally though, she had withdrawn his erection and he turned her around again before making her lean over once more. After a moment, he thrust inside of her, groaning heavily as she was very wet, and a second later he proceeded to move, as he knew she was ready. "Kate…" he groaned in pleasure then as she was tight still. "I just had you…"

Smiling for an instant at that, Beckett used the table to move as he fucked her, trying to match his speed which she was finally able to do though she needed the extra leverage to maintain it. She closed her eyes tightly and said, "Each time… is different remember?"

"I know," Castle hissed out of his clenched teeth as with her moving as well, the friction easily built up between them making him feel her rough against him. He looked down at her, and suddenly became frustrated with the position, though that one was always a little more erotic for them since they tended to face one another most of the time. But he carefully pulled away from her and after he had her turned around; he saw she wasn't too surprised or about to protest; so he reached around her for the zipper of her dress.

Beckett helped him with her dress, not surprised when he tossed it onto the couch and then started to pick her up. "Wait," she told him a little sternly so he would stop. "And we can do that on the table," she told him as she was unbuttoning his shirt after getting his jacket off.

"I'll get something," Castle told her simply, helping her with the buttons. Once it was off they worked together to get the rest of his clothes off until he was naked. That done, he hurried to the couch and grabbed the blanket still there before he went back out to where his wife was waiting for him, her arms crossed over her breasts. Shaking out the grey fabric on the tabletop, he then grabbed Beckett, kissing her deeply before he laid her out and started to fuck her without really waiting to see if she was ready; he already knew that she was.

Moaning deeply, Beckett held on tightly to her husband as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, sliding them up a little before he pulled away from her mouth. She was breathing harshly as he drifted down to her breasts, and she slid her fingers through his hair when he proceeded to suckle at her. Her eyes closed at the sensation, and she bit her lower lip at the same time, the shock that was a jolt through her seeming to wake her up and her skin felt sensitive which made the cycle of sensations start all over again as he was still at her mound. She scraped at his scalp before he moved to her other breast and she forced herself to watch him as the pleasure from his stimulating her chest was added to what she was feeling where he was fucking her. She had to wonder how they weren't toppling to the floor as she could feel the table rocking underneath them both but she didn't bother to figure it out; as long as they didn't fall and weren't interrupted she didn't care.

Castle had thought the same thing as well, but he was too busy with her to think about it for that long. He was trying to move his hips in such a way that he reached her clit and finally he moved up to her ear, whispering something into it before her legs spread without leaving his waist. He was moving harder at that and heard the same sound Beckett had before; the table rocking below them. It was an erotic noise but he focused his attention on his wife, watching her closely as they moved together, loving the way she looked as he took her so roughly. He was able to see her pleasure in her eyes though she was rolling her head back and forth and was closing her eyes every so often. He just hoped that pleasure was the same as his; like a long lick of fire that didn't pull back to where they were coupled, it spread and made his entire body feel like it was engulfed in flames. He suddenly reached down and placed his hands under her hips, making her thrust up against him as she cried out in response, scratching the blanket underneath her.

"Rick… oh… don't stop!" Beckett begged him, knowing she wasn't going to last long. She had no clue why that was though, but only hoped that her husband was with her. She felt the time pass as he continued to move, thrusting hard inside of her, hitting her clit dead on then as he suddenly found the right angle. She knew not that much time had passed before she'd warned him, but she tried everything she could to keep her inevitable end from occurring, thinking about everything but what Castle was putting her though. Finally though, it became far too much and she was sure she cried out an apology to him before she arched her back up roughly in response as she nearly screamed while her orgasm rushed through her. Shortly after she had begun her husband proceeded to climax and she reached up, holding onto him as he chanted her name against her neck. She had no idea how long that lasted, only that finally she was stopping, limp on the table as he thrust furiously a few more times and then stopped himself, his face pressed against her neck still as their heavy breathing filled the room.

When he had recovered enough to move, Castle pulled back and wasn't surprised when his wife followed him, her arms still around his neck. He kissed her then, but as compared to the ones they'd exchanged before he was gentle and very careful before moving away from her.

A little disconcerted with the way Castle was looking at her as he ran his hand over the bun in her hair, Beckett asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Castle told her with a slight smile. "Come on, now we can go to the bed."

After he'd left her, Beckett said, "Two things though. When he looked at her she smiled saying, "My hair, and these."

Glancing down at her heels, Castle nodded and then reached up to her hair, undoing the bun before taking out the comb and leaving them on the table. He was going to lead her into the bedroom but she stopped him, and as she leaned against the table, he knelt to take her heels off, touching her feet carefully before he could finally take her into the room.

"Wait here," Beckett said, brushing her lips to his before she disappeared into the bathroom. She smiled to herself when she saw his startled expression as she left, but then turned her attention to the cabinet beneath the sink.

Sitting on the edge of the bed and frowning as he waited for Beckett, Castle looked over to the main room thinking about their bout before, but not really sure what he wanted to do. But he then remembered what had been different that time, and he quickly made up his mind as the door to the bathroom opened and he looked up to see his wife. "I should have known," he said, though his expression was serious as he stared at her intently.

"What, you're disappointed?" Beckett asked him teasingly as she stepped up to him. A smile spread across her face as he held her by her sides and pulled her close, not surprised when he ran his hands up and down to feel the silkiness of her black negligee, a new one she'd bought for the trip.

"It's shorter isn't it?" Castle seemed to suddenly gasp as he realized his hands were pulling up the fabric to expose her sex to him a lot quicker than they should have.

"It is, I thought you might like that," Beckett said, watching her husband closely.

"Yeah, I do," Castle breathed out. He then stood up and took her in his arms, kissing her as hard as he possibly could while she held onto him tightly. They were a little desperate at first before he suddenly reminded himself of his plan and slowed things down, turning it into a much more sensuous kiss. That done, he carefully pulled away and stepped back, kissing her neck before he moved down to her shoulder. Feeling the heat of her skin he suppressed a shudder as he didn't want to be distracted by anything, and he felt her shaking underneath his lips in response to him. He then worked his way down to the hollow of her throat before slowly drifting up to her neck again and back to her lips.

Beckett was a little surprised by her husband's actions; having thought that he would want to go a little quicker to start making love with her again after they'd been faster than usual before. But she wasn't going to complain as he was very careful, though all of a sudden he deepened their second kiss making her hold onto him as tightly as she could as she had to work to respond to him. But finally she was matching him and she sighed into his mouth as his hands were careful on her back, stroking her gently. "Why?" she finally had to ask, pulling away from him as she had to know.

Pressing his forehead to hers, Castle murmured against her lips, "I want to make this all about you right now."

Breathing out heavily, Beckett said, "You always do that though."

"Not like I'm planning on doing now," Castle told her before he went over to the mirror across from the end of the bed. "Right now," he said, his voice husky in his arousal as he made her face it.

Trembling as her husband's hands pulled her hair behind her shoulders Beckett looked at their reflection, watching as he leaned down and just barely brushed his lips against the junction of her neck and collarbone. "Just, don't take a long time," she begged him.

"I'll take care of you," Castle said, pushing the strap of her negligee out of the way before he brushed his lips over her skin that had been under it. He looked up at them both as he started to run his hands over her instead of kissing her. When she leaned her head back and closed her eyes he groaned to her, "You look amazing in this."

Beckett opened her eyes, wondering if he meant the lingerie and her necklace, or just one of those. But as he proceeded to spend his time running his hands and lips on her she found it didn't matter. When he turned her to him she gasped a little in her surprise when he started to run his nails over her back, through the negligee. "You…" she started to say, biting her lower lip a little roughly.

"Do you want me to stop?" Castle asked her. When she shook her head he smiled and leaned down, capturing her lips with his as he continued to just barely scratch her back. He could feel her shuddering in response to that, and she tried to kiss him back harder, but he didn't let her make it deeper. When she pulled apart, looking a little annoyed at him, he brushed his lips to hers and murmured against them, "You taste so sweet… every time Kate."

"Don't try to patronize me," Beckett replied, though she was touched as she could tell he was serious. She wasn't too surprised when he didn't reply to that, and instead continued what he had been doing in the first place. At some point, he'd been scratching at her back for so long that her goose bumps that had risen from his brushing touch went away. She breathed out slightly when he pulled away and then watched him kneel in front of her. She wanted to protest and drag him onto the bed, but when he proceeded to kiss her breasts she lost the urge to do so. His lips were brushing against her there too and she closed her eyes tightly in response at the pleasure that snapped through her, a rough heat that made her tremble slightly before he was moving down after making her nipples impossibly taut.

Hearing the cry as he started to kiss at her mound, Castle felt a rush of arousal go through him at the sound, and he had to remind himself that there was going to be a great result with what he was doing to Beckett. He was very careful to kiss in a different place each time, until finally he thought he'd kissed her long enough. Standing back up he clenched his teeth slightly when his knee gave off a pang of pain at that, but he ignored it, trying to reach for his wife when she stopped him.

"Your knee hurts," Beckett told him as she held his wrists. "You should get-" Before she could finish that though he was kissing her deeply, wrapping her so tightly in his arms that she was almost ashamed when the desire to protest him taking so long went out of her. But she found she was enjoying herself so much that she didn't care she was submitting; she knew he would take care of her as he'd said.

"I promise you, soon," Castle assured her when he finally ended the kiss. He pulled away a little, and took off the negligee telling her, "Wear this for me again?"

"Hmm, I might," Beckett said, smiling in pleasure as his hands went over her naked body once the lingerie was on the floor. He caressed her and she breathed out in pleasure before he took her in his embrace. Though it wasn't the first time they had been in each other's hold naked that day, she still felt her heart race with the thrill of feeling his arousal against her thigh. "I think I should," she murmured to him as his erection was rigid. She tried to reach down and take it in her hand, but he stopped her by grabbing her hands. "Not even that?" she asked in protest.

"Not yet," Castle said, pressing his lips over her palms before kissing her wrists. "But I hope you might do that later." When she simply smiled at him he kissed her, their lips locked tightly for an instant before he pulled away from her. He allowed himself another caress of her body and then picked her up, not surprised when she hungrily kissed him as he moved to lay her down on the bed. "Love," he whispered, kissing her as he lay directly on top of her. He groaned softly when she ran her hands down his back once, and then went back, sliding her nails over him. He pulled away and looked at her saying, " _I won't stop, I want you to beg me to feel me_."

Biting her lower lip roughly at that, Beckett whispered to him, " _Then take me, I want to feel you now_." But when he moved down her body, his lips just barely brushing her skin, she knew he wasn't ready to go to that yet. But she wasn't complaining about his treatment of her, only wanted him to take her because by then she was more than ready for him. Her heart was pounding and her skin was a little moist with sweat as he had gone past her mound and was at her feet, kissing at them, brushing his lips there too. She was biting her lower lip as she watched him, and wondered how he was feeling, doing all he was to her and not getting anything in return besides her kissing him back and touching him. "Love," she told him, gesturing him to her with her finger.

Castle didn't respond to that, instead he kept her stare as he slid over her right ankle and then up her leg, loving the moan she gave him as he went before he reached her knee. There he made her part her legs for him, and he made his way between both of her thighs, feeling her shifting before he set his hands on top of her legs to keep her from moving too much. She tried to fight against him, and though he wasn't looking at her he could almost see in his mind her eyes shut tightly and her upper body arching in response to him. He moved a little further, making her part her legs even more as her whispered, "Oh yes, Rick, _please_ ," reached his ears, making him swallow a little roughly at that before he leaned down to her sex.

Sucking in a deep breath of air, Beckett arched her back roughly as her husband proceeded to lightly blow on her from her clit to her entrance, her skin trembling heavily in response to it. She reached down to his head and she grabbed his hair as tightly as she could without hurting him when he suddenly brushed his tongue over her clit and every last inch of skin around it. She had no idea how long he was doing that, only that every second seemed to push her further and further to the edge. She was moaning, gasping to him eventually that she was going to come after he slipped his tongue in and out of her, lapping at her arousal and she felt nothing from him abruptly. About to protest, she opened her eyes to watch him, and bit her lower lip for a moment as he grabbed an extra pillow from his side, tucking it underneath her hips before he lay on her.

"This is what you want?" Castle breathed, his mouth to hers so their breath mingled together.

"Yes, but… I can't last," Beckett warned him. A second later; in response to that; he was sinking inside of her, starting to move roughly as soon as he had. And it was no surprise to her when she had to cry out to him, "I'm coming, oh Rick… oh please don't stop!" as her orgasm nearly wracked her body while she tried to withstand the heavy waves of ecstasy as they rushed through her unendingly, making her throw her arms and legs around him tightly as she wanted to feel him close to her though he wasn't climaxing with her yet.

Feeling her was an amazing experience, though it wasn't Castle's first time he'd felt her orgasming while he wasn't. He loved watching her as well, what he could see of her body as he was propped above her. She was writhing and eventually her arms slid down from around his neck though her legs were around his waist still and he could feel her heels were beating against his ass, beating out the rhythm that she was moving at and what he tried to reach too. Eventually they matched each other, and he realized that unless he was careful, he was going to get off before she could again. With that realization, he reached in between them, and started to rub at her clit though it meant his hand was getting squashed between them. But when she quickly began to cry out again at his gentle, fast brushes of his fingertips, he could care less about the state of his hand. He was breathing harder himself, her sex was no longer trying to get him to come with him, but it was still arousing him as she hadn't stopped being very warm and tight. With the way he was starting to struggle with himself to thrust he knew he was close and he finally worked faster with his fingers on her, watching her to make sure they were together when he lost control.

Not sure where she was getting the energy, Beckett was feeling everything coming on to her. There was the friction between her and Castle, his fingers almost playing with her clit and his skin brushing constantly against hers at their hips, their legs and everywhere else felt like a flash of fire when they rubbed together. She then cried out heavily in pleasure and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly before she felt her husband's thrusts going out of control, she cried out once when his hand left her clit and then nearly screamed his name as she was drawn with him over the edge shortly after. She took his hungry kiss then, both of them fighting with each other eventually when she started to respond. At the end of her second orgasm, she was startled to feel Castle still moving, and rapidly. She remembered then that he had likely been teasing himself as well while he'd been working on her, so she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as he rocked against her so hard that the bed was lightly running into the wall behind it. "Love, I don't think I can…" she warned him as she knew what he was working towards.

"You will Kate," Castle said. He pulled away enough so they could look at each other and as he rubbed her still swollen nub whispered, "Look at me," in a forceful tone. When she did he murmured to her, "Let me take care of you, take you enough to make you scream my name like you just did."

"Is that what you want me to do?" Beckett breathed out in pleasure as he tried to change the angle of his hips and managed to get deeper. When he nodded she brought him down to her, kissing him deeply before they started to fight with their tongues in each other's mouths. She wasn't sure about time then as she knew they both needed to work up a little to their next mutual peak, but she didn't care since it allowed her to feel everything yet again for longer. But as time passed she found it a lot harder to fight against the sensation of him thrusting and their lips meeting constantly. She was a little surprised when she realized then that he had moved his hand away from in between them. And the second shock was that she was still pleasured even without that, so much so that she had to tell him, "I can't… you've got to come with me Rick!" crying that out as she pushed her palms against the headboard to try and move even faster.

"I'm there love, just come, I'll be with you!" Castle groaned hard as he was going against her rougher. He felt her snap up against his chest, making them collide briefly before as she was again writhing on the bed. Her quivering body was drawing him out and at last he lost it with her, groaning again but that time in a tone filled with pleasure before he was leaning down, kissing her lips wildly as they were a little lost in their thrusts together.

Their hips slapping, their bodies throbbing with the intensity of their orgasms, there was a split second moment for both Castle and Beckett when time seemed to stop, and with her clutching at his back, they passed out at nearly the same time. Overwhelmed, their limp bodies took that chance to recover and they had no idea how long it was that they were out as they finally came to, looking into each other's eyes.

Swallowing a little roughly as he found his mouth was dry, Castle said, "A lot better waking up this time around. Want me to check your neck for a mark?"

Shaking her head, Beckett waited for him to sit up before she followed him at his touch, getting on her knees. "Hmm that was… incredible, I can't believe I finally managed to get you to black out," she told him as they held onto one another tightly, still coupled together as neither of them wanted to part yet.

"I know, it took a while," Castle said, stroking her slightly damp hair. "And that is an interesting sensation; we'll have to try for that again."

"Not yet I hope," Beckett said, pulling back and studying him.

"Oh no, there's time," Castle said. "Now though, I'd like to do this," he said, bringing her to his lips. The kiss that time was easy and unrushed as he could feel he was literally drained of energy after everything he'd done with her. When they parted he ran his hands along her sides saying, "Were you surprised?"

"A little," Beckett said, knowing what he was referring to. " _But you are an incredible lover_ Rick." She smiled when she felt his shudder and she pressed her forehead against his and told him again, "You've ruined me for other men you know."

"You've said before, so now you're sure about that?" Castle asked her as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

"No man has ever worked on me like that before," Beckett told him. "Not when they were that aroused," she said, glancing quickly down to their joined groins.

"Oh you saw that," Castle said before she gave him a look. He smiled and told her. "I know, but you're that amazing. And I'm hoping you'll let me do that again; all of what I just did."

"Give me some warning next time," Beckett told him before brushing her lips to his. "Can I do that to you? Wait, I will, another night though," she told him as he started to open his mouth to reply to her question. When she saw her husband's flabbergasted look she kissed him quickly and warned him, "I'm going into the shower and then we're getting dressed and getting under the covers."

"Cold?" Castle asked her. When Beckett nodded he leaned over and kissed her carefully before they parted and he followed her into the shower. He enjoyed it greatly as he was able to relish the feel of her body under the cascading water, the sweat from their exertions disappearing. At the end before he turned the water off he held her close, kissing her harder, but not too much as they were both aware of each other's exhaustion. "Stay here," he told her after he had dried her off and she'd taken care of him.

"I can go out," Beckett told him with a smirk as she walked past him. "Think I should wear this?" she teased him, holding up her negligee. "Or another night," she said as she couldn't help laugh softly at his expression as he stared at the black fabric.

"Another night," Castle said simply before they hurried to dress as it felt colder than when they'd gone into the bathroom. Once she was dressed he took her into his arms and told her, "You looked gorgeous tonight, all during tonight. _You shouldn't be surprised I love you_."

"I love you Rick," Beckett said, looking into his eyes then and seeing how serious he was. She brought him down to her, kissing him deeply before they parted and she shivered as he went to her ear and whispered to her, "I adore you Kate." Closing her eyes tightly at the solemn tone of his voice she pulled back and smiled lovingly at him before she took his hand and led him under the covers where they shivered together before they warmed up. "I think this is one thing I love about winter," she said as he was behind her, pressed close so she could feel the warmth of his body.

"Me too," Castle said, kissing her shoulder through her shirt. He could feel her body heat as well, and he moved closer to her, relishing it before closing his eyes.

Beckett fell asleep a little after her husband, but she ended up doing the same as Castle had, enjoying him warming her up before that. She took his hand that was on her stomach, squeezing it briefly. She then slept and was dreaming again; not really surprised when she saw herself and her husband entwined together as they explored the lovers aspect of their relationship while her subconscious controlled everything she wanted to see and feel. So her dream was a delight as at the same time she pressed back against Castle's body, bringing them even closer together in their deep, peaceful sleep.


	4. And When I Awoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) by The Beatles, from their album Rubber Soul.

Turning over onto his side, Castle breathed in and when he exhaled in a cough his eyes snapped open and he looked around, seeing that the darkness was lightening slightly with dawn approaching. But he suddenly noticed that the room was blurry and he abruptly realized there was a reason for that. There was smoke. He sat up and shook his wife saying, "Kate, wake up," his voice clipped in its tone.

"What-" Beckett started to say before she suddenly started to cough as well. Without another word she was pushing the covers off of her and rushed to the outside closet with Castle where they threw on their coats and shoes before he made her get away from the door as they knelt to try and get away from the smoke though it was coming in through the bottom of the door.

Touching the knob quickly, Castle felt it was cool to the touch, and he opened the door, looking out and seeing the smoke was billowing from underneath the suite two doors down; where Dennis and Lake were staying. "It's-" he began to say as he turned to Beckett. But he was cut off by the fire alarm going off and he told her, "We need to go."

Taking her husband's hand while they covered their mouths with their shirts, Beckett rushed with him out of the door and around the corner where they knew the staircase was. There was less smoke in that hallway, but she still coughed a little as she said, "Thanks for checking."

"Not a problem," Castle said as they started down the stairs and at the sixth floor they saw Hill, the concierge and a few other men and women; employees; coming up the stairs. "Suite 840," he told them as he saw some of them had fire extinguishers.

"Go to the Conservatory," Hill told them sharply. "We'll gather everyone there and then the ballroom. Don't worry," he said directing that to Beckett. "We'll put out the fire ma'am."

"Did I look like I was going to faint?" she asked her husband as they continued down.

"Not really, I guess that was a natural reaction," Castle commented wryly. They were quiet the rest of the way down the stairs, hearing people from the floors above them eventually following them. They were one of the first in the Conservatory and once he'd stopped he sat on a bench with his wife saying, "So… surprised?"

"No, but we've had a number of vacations already without this happening, I guess it was time," Beckett replied with a smile, wrapping her arms around herself as it was cold in the room.

"That's true, but I'm wondering what happened," Castle said when he spotted the Maxtones coming in.

"Are you okay, we heard it was suite 820, isn't that yours?" Chelsea asked.

"It's 840, the couple that were late the first night," Beckett replied. "Was it bad up there?"

"Not that we could see, just smoke and judging by the yells we could hear as we were headed for the stairs they were getting it under control," William said.

"Which means we'll be able to go up to our room soon," Castle said. "What time is it?"

"About four thirty," William answered, yawning slightly.

"I don't know if you two will want to go back to your room," Chelsea said, glancing at her husband. "The smoke was pretty thick."

"Then I guess we'll get another room," Beckett said, frowning as she thought of their clothes smelling like smoke.

"Too bad, I loved our view," Castle told her, smiling slightly when she looked up at him and gave him a look.

"Ladies, gentlemen," the concierge said as he came up to the ballroom doorways, his face smudged slightly from smoke. "We've gotten a small fire under control on the eighth floor, and since there's not much in the way of damage, we can let those of you from the seventh floor down return to your suites. But those guests who are on the eighth floor remain here please."

Watching as most of the people in the two rooms left Castle and Beckett stood, waiting with the Maxtones until there were about twenty of them left in the ballroom, waiting for the concierge to speak.

"We'll need to put you all into other suites on other floors, completely free of course," the man assured them. "Mr. Hill is in the lobby, he'll handle reassigning you and you'll be allowed to move your things to your new rooms, all we ask is that you not go into suite 840." Everyone started to leave, but the concierge quickly said, "Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett, could you remain here please?"

"What happened to Mr. Dennis and Ms. Lake?" Castle asked quickly once they were alone in the room.

"I'm afraid they perished, it appears they were smoking in bed and fell asleep," the concierge told them. "They likely died of smoke inhalation."

Sharing a look with Castle, Beckett said, "Is that why you wanted us to stay behind?"

"Actually no," the man said. "Since you're right down the hall, I'm afraid your room was heavily damaged by smoke, and that includes your clothing. What we'd like to do is put you into a cabin down by the lake, and also we'll clean your clothes, free of charge."

"Well," Beckett began to say, looking at her husband.

"I think that's fair," Castle said. "Is it a problem to have us out there though? The only ones in cabins?"

"Not really," the concierge replied. "We'll have no problems sending out maids to clean the cabin, and should you want room service there's a landline in there so you can order it."

"Then I guess we'll take it," Castle replied, Beckett nodding.

"Alright, you can head up to your suite again; it may be a little cold, as we opened the windows to air out the room. But you can get whatever you can, the rest please leave on the bed to be cleaned," the concierge told them.

"Thank you," Beckett said, Castle nodding his thanks before they left and went upstairs. When they got to the eighth floor, she wasn't really surprised when her husband walked down past their room after letting go of her hand and she watched him try the door to suite 840. "Castle," she said, walking up to him.

"Come on," he told her quickly. "You don't think that theory makes sense do you?"

Watching him as he stepped away from the door, Beckett finally sighed and said, "Is it locked?"

"Of course," Castle said.

"Hold on," Beckett told him before she went inside their suite; that door still open. She went to her suitcase, the smell of smoke thick even with the cold air coming through the room. Shivering slightly she went through her things still in the case and she found her lock pick that she still kept in there. "It's freezing in there," she told her husband as she came out to explain why her arms were wrapped around herself. "But it smells like smoke; he wasn't kidding."

"Let's hope this wasn't a ploy to get us isolated in that cabin," Castle said.

"For what reason?" Beckett asked as she was picking at the lock that was underneath the key card slot.

"Well to kill us of course," Castle replied.

"Again Rick, for what reason?" Beckett said, that time looking back at him.

"Well, likely because there's a serial killer, murdering couples by burning them," Castle said.

"You've used that theory before," Beckett told him wryly before the lock clicked and she was able to open the door. "But you're forgetting something Castle; the fire was small and short lived too. We need to see what we'll find."

Walking inside the room with her, Castle saw that while there had been a fire in the room there hadn't been much in the way of damage from any flames. It was more smoke damage, even out in the main room that he and Beckett walked through quickly to get to the bedroom. There he wasn't surprised to see the bed was empty and he said, "What if we find evidence?"

"We'll have to cover it and explain to the concierge what we were doing in here," Beckett said. She then paused and said, "I really hope they called the police."

"I think they did," Castle said, going over to the windows and looking outside when she said that. "But they're probably not going to make it." When his wife looked up at him he pointed to the window, watching her look out at the large drifts of snow that were blanketing the grounds all the way down to the lake.

"How…" she started to say when she saw two men shoveling a path to a cabin to the right that was just barely showing through the trees in the distance. "They must be worried about a bad review," Beckett replied as she looked at Castle and saw that he was looking the same way.

"I know, to me that's a big inconvenience," he said. "Okay, let's look and then go, because it's freezing in here too."

"Well, I can tell you right now that there wasn't a smoking in bed fire," Beckett said, looking at the mattress.

"Yeah, nothing that would show the fire started at the end of a lit cigarette, let alone two of them," Castle agreed with a nod as he studied the fire pattern. He tilted his head and said, "Everything smoldered, hence all the smoke."

"And it was lit here," Beckett said, pointing to a darker spot on the bed sheet. "At their feet… I wonder if they were unconcious-"

"Or already dead," Castle finished for her before she nodded in agreement. "Think we could manage to sneak down and see the bodies to check and see?"

Beckett was going to protest that, when she looked into his eyes and sighed finally saying, "I would tell you no, but I know you'd just ignore me and go without me. Let's see what we can take first from our room and then we'll see if we can get into the freezer in the kitchen."

"You think they'd put them there?" Castle asked as he followed her out into the hall.

"There's not really another place for them here, unless they put them in the boathouse," Beckett said simply.

Inside their bedroom, the two looked through their clothes, luckily the two shirts furthest from the door into the suite didn't smell much like smoke, nor did what they'd put in the dresser as the drawers had been tight like a seal. They packed their suitcases and then took everything else out, leaving it on the bed.

Down in the lobby, Castle was relieved when there wasn't anyone there to see them. "Think they have security cameras though?" as they walked to the kitchens they'd noticed the entrance to as they'd gone to the skating rink the day before.

"Probably, so if we get caught…" Beckett said, shrugging instead of finishing that. She looked through the thin window in the door leading to the main room of the kitchen; and seeing it was empty and the freezer doors far in the back closed; went inside. She brought her suitcase with her as Castle did the same, and after opening the heavy steel door to the left, set it in place with his to keep it from closing and locking them inside. She saw two shelves to their left with two bodies on them, the freezer empty. "Luckily we guessed the right freezer," she told her husband.

"Luckily they have two freezers, I'd be a little creeped out eating anything frozen," Castle told her as she put on her leather gloves she'd slipped into her pocket. He put on his own, and went to the top shelf while Beckett went to the body on the lower one. He drew off the sheet, careful to leave it on the shelf in case he needed to put it back in a hurry. "I don't think they were killed by a fire," he said when he saw it was Dennis, and the man had a bullet wound directly over his heart.

"No, they weren't," Beckett said, frowning. "I don't get it though," she said as she motioned to him with her head to cover Dennis up as she covered up Lake. "He or she shot them and tried to set the bed on fire to cover up?"

"I agree," Castle said with a nod as they pulled off their gloves and then left the kitchen with their suitcases. "They didn't really do a good job of that, unless…"

"It was more to burn their bodies to burn them," Beckett said as her husband nodded at that. "Which suggests anger."

"Hill," the two said together as they walked into the lobby.

"Yes, are you two ready to go?" the activities director asked, walking up to them.

Blanching at the same time at their first suspect in the murder nearly catching them speculating about the murders, Castle and Beckett only nodded their heads before they hurried after him to the door where they were plunged into the freezing cold of the early morning hours. All three of them were silent as he led them to the cabin, and after Hill had unlocked it he handed Castle the key.

"Everything you need is here, there's a phone and if you dial 4 you'll be connected to the concierge and they'll take care of whatever you need," the man said before abruptly leaving, striding back to the hotel.

"Okay, so, this is home for the rest of the week," Castle said, closing the door and turning on the light switch he saw at the same time. Seeing the main room of the cabin illuminated he made a noise of surprise as his wife was staring around the room.

"Wow, I can see why they keep these for a privileged few… but is this why they gave us this one?" Beckett asked him as she went over to the shelves nearest them, touching the spine of a book. The back walls made a u-shape of bookcases, filled with books with a spiral staircase in front of the back wall.

"Most likely, but I don't mind it," Castle said, looking around and seeing the fireplace. "No TV, but I didn't really feel like watching anything."

"Can we go to bed?" Beckett asked.

"Sure," Castle said, following her to the spiral staircase. He waited for her to start up before going after, and when he saw the room at the top he said, "The windows were tinted."

"Yeah, I figured that'd be the first thing out of your mouth," Beckett said with a knowing smile as she looked at the windows that made up the walls of the room and afforded a beautiful view of the woods surrounding them, the lake slightly visible in the distance. "Well, I think I can live with losing that other view now I've seen this one," she told her husband.

"You want to go to bed now? Not unpack?" Castle asked.

"Well…" Beckett started to say, looking at her watch, seeing it was nearly five. "It might calm me down," she finally said with a nod before they went to the bed.

"What about the case?" Castle then inquired as he opened his suitcase after setting it down.

"It's not a case," Beckett said. "Call it an inquiry."

"Because we're in Canada?" Castle asked. At her look he smiled slightly and then told her, "Then the inquiry. Okay, so what time did we go to sleep?"

"Two," Beckett said. "Two fifteen, around there, I looked at the clock when we headed into the shower."

"It… really?" Castle asked, a little surprised to hear how long he'd taken with her the night before. When his wife nodded he said, "Okay, so, two to two fifteen. I woke up at about four thirty; I don't really think this guy delayed in setting the fire."

"I don't think so either," Beckett agreed. "So that's our kill zone. Two hours, a little over that. Did you hear something and that woke you up, or was it the smoke?"

"The smoke," Castle said. "And I'm going to say a silencer was on the gun, because while Dennis and Lake didn't have anyone in the suites on either side of them, someone in the hall could have heard."

"Speaking of halls; I kind of wonder about security cameras," Beckett said to that. "There have to be, remember Hill berating them about doing something in the hall?"

"He could have been there and come upon them," Castle pointed out.

"But why would he be there? Unless he was stalking them," Beckett said. "They kind of threw a wrench in his plans," she mused. "He seemed to want to make everything perfect, but they didn't really help."

"That's true but you know they were from Canada," Castle said, hanging up his shirts by then.

"Which means what to us?" Beckett asked him.

"It means there could be a conspiracy of Mounties who… wait, that doesn't make any sense," Castle said. "I can't see any kind of conspiracy here in the middle of nowhere."

"That and I think it's way too early for any kind of theories," Beckett said, standing next to the bed as she rubbed her arm for warmth for a moment.

"Oh, I saw the thermostat downstairs, hold on," Castle said, seeing her movement. He turned it on and set it before hurrying back to her telling her, "I really like Hill as the killer, but there's a slight problem with that."

"It's disrupting things even more?" Beckett asked him. When her husband nodded she said, "I thought of that too. Okay, let's try and think of someone else we've seen here in conflict with them or who could be a possible suspect," as she took her shirts to the closet to hang.

The room was quiet for a while as they soon finished unpacking, and then took off their coats, gloves and scarves as the cabin was much warmer by then. They were both thinking, and continued to do so as they sat against the carved headboard.

"Can't sleep?" Castle asked. When his wife turned to him with an annoyed look on her face he asked, "What?"

"You've got me going over the murders in my head, so no, I can't," Beckett said. She watched as her husband got off the bed and went to his tablet in his carry on suitcase. "What're you doing?" she asked when he cursed slightly under his breath.

"The storm must have messed with the internet, I can't get on," Castle said. He then paused and he rushed to his phone while Beckett picked up hers on her nightstand. "Do you have any?" he asked her.

"No," Beckett said, frowning. "How does it look outside?"

"Clear, I could see the stars when we were walking here, so I think the storm is over," Castle said. "We might have to call them later tonight, to see if we can get through."

"Let's hope so, I don't want to think about them worrying about us," Beckett said with a sigh as she set her phone back down and sat up again as he sat with her. "But why the tablet? You can't go online."

"No, but, we could try and start up a little murder board," Castle told her as he opened the program he'd managed to find for the tablet. "Okay, so there's Jordan Dennis and Angelina Lake," he said, typing those names out first. They're newly engaged, I would say probably… about six months at the most."

"You can narrow it down that much?" Beckett asked in amusement.

"Well, I've seen that ring before, at Tiffany's," Castle commented.

"Why were you at Tiffany's?" Beckett asked him.

"Just because," Castle said with a shrug.

"I told you before, this was enough," Beckett told him, touching her aquamarine necklace she was still wearing from dinner the night before.

"I know," Castle replied as he watched her get up and go over to where she had a dark blue jacquard silk jewelry roll on the long dresser. "I told you that'd come in handy," he said as she took off her necklace, telling her that since he'd bought it for her when they'd gone back to San Francisco and Chinatown.

"I know," Beckett echoed him, getting her pendant and then going over to his side of the bed, sitting on the edge as he took it from her. She smiled as his fingertips brushed across the back of her neck and she commented, "Okay, so they were fairly newly engaged."

"Right," Castle said, going back to the murders. "And they were very much in love… or lust, we only saw that part of it."

"And that was enough," Beckett said, climbing over him to sit next to him again. "So we're not thinking it's a murder-suicide."

"Especially with the angle of the wounds," Castle said. "Did you notice?"

"I did," Beckett replied, bending her knees and wrapping her arms around them as she watched him typing on the screen. "So the killer was maybe six to six-five."

"Which does fit Hill," Castle commented. "But let's get back to those two though I'm not sure what else we can say about them…"

"They're from Canada," Beckett said. "You could hear the slight accent when they talked so they're likely native… they did talk to that couple at dinner the first night. Maybe we could talk to them?"

"They were fans," Castle said. "So they'd speak to us."

"But we need to be careful," Beckett said. She was about to speak again but then paused and made a slight face. "Rick, I really think this is a little bizarre, we're here for us, and we're acting like the RCMP will welcome us poking into what'll be their case with open arms."

"Well, the closest they are to us is Sault Ste. Marie," Castle said. "Which is pretty far, and unless they plow that highway we're by, whatever the number of it is, they're not going to be able to make it. So we could start their investigation for them."

"I'm sure they'll be glad about that," Beckett said before she sighed. "Alright, but once they get here, we tell them what we have and leave it at that okay? We're only here for a limited amount of time."

"Oh come on love, you're as into this as I am," Castle said.

"Because there's no police nearby," Beckett said simply. "And once there are we're letting them investigate without any interference."

"Fine," Castle said, pretending to look annoyed. But he then said, "Since we're on pause with this right now, what do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Whatever Hill's doing," Beckett replied. She smiled when her husband looked at her and told him, "You want to investigate while we can don't you? We'll try and talk with him about Dennis and Lake, and see what we can find out. Maybe you can flirt with him…"

"Oh no, there's no possible way," Castle said, protesting immediately.

"I'm kidding, I'll talk to him," Beckett said, leaning over and brushing her lips against his. "And since I won't be too abrupt it's better that I do."

"Alright, but if he starts flirting with you…" Castle commented, holding her to him with his hand on her back.

"Then I'll know you still want me," Beckett tried to teased him but failed as they leaned in close to one another.

"I think I showed you I did last night," Castle said, knowing she wasn't serious.

"Hmm, yes you did," Beckett replied before they kissed, slowly but lingering for some time before they parted. She leaned against her husband as he brought his arm around her and they looked at their "murder board" on the small screen. "Okay, so we've filled out as much as we can on the victims," Beckett said. "You should put down about the crime scene."

"Right," Castle said. But he paused before he could move and said, "Kate?"

Pushing him playfully in the ribs with her elbow, Beckett straightened up and typed for him, "Lack of fire damage; mostly smoke and fire contained to bed. No evidence of cigarette, or cigarettes. Both victims shot in the chest with killer standing at side of the bed, likely between 2:30 and 4:30."

Watching her yawn then, Castle kissed the side of her head and said, "Sorry."

"About what?" Beckett asked.

"For keeping you up," Castle told her.

"Since when are you sorry about that?" Beckett asked with a smile. "You would have done that last night if we hadn't knocked each other out at the end."

"Yeah, that was great wasn't it?" Castle asked. He laughed shortly and said, "Okay, so could you tell the caliber from the wounds?"

"I think a .45," Beckett replied. "But considering we're out in the middle of nowhere, I get the feeling they have guns for protection around here."

"More than likely," Castle replied. "Okay, so now, suspects, let me write this down," he said, using his left hand to type out _Ronald Hill, Michipicoten Resort activities director_. He started to add the words stuck up jackass when Beckett slapped at his hand to make him stop. "What, it'll help out-"

"It won't," she said, shaking her head. "Okay, so we have a suspect but there's someone else, actually two other people that come to mind right now."

"The Golds?" Castle asked. "Well, that might work; shooting someone in their bed is pretty personal. What if they were in their suite with them, convincing them to have that damn foursome but then Dennis and Lake backed out at the last minute?"

"Possible, but for that we'd really need to find out if they have security cameras in the hallways," Castle said. "And that would be hard to do without looking a little suspicious ourselves."

"One thing I'm thinking of," Beckett said. "Now I'm more awake after being woken up like that. How did the employees know about the fire as quickly as they did? It took a while for the fire alarm…"

"Someone tampered with the alarm in the room," Castle and Beckett said at the same time.

"That would make sense, they'd need time for the bodies to burn… but that means there's some kind of evidence on them we didn't see…" Castle said quickly. "Would evidence of a sexual assault be destroyed by a fire?"

"I don't know," Beckett said. She frowned and said, "Here's where we could use Lanie's help."

"I know, but we know a little about postmortem investigation, so we should be okay," Castle said. "We just need to head back to that freezer-"

"And how do you propose to do that?" Beckett interrupted him.

"Uh… bribery?" Castle said. "We'll think about that tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow," Beckett reminded him as the sky had been steadily lightening. "Okay, so we know they wanted a delay in the bodies being found. Maybe it's something I thought of, an employee."

"That would work," Castle said, having been tossing that idea around in his head too. "They'd set that fire, run down to wherever it is the workers stay and manage to go with that group that was coming up the stairs as we were going down."

"But why a fire?" Beckett said. "They probably wanted to frame someone."

"Or they're insane, or an arsonist," Castle said. "But if they were the latter they'd have likely burned the whole hotel down."

"So they could be insane," Beckett said. "And jealous maybe?"

"A past boyfriend jealous of Dennis getting engaged to Lake?" Castle suggested.

"Or a past girlfriend jealous of Lake getting engaged to Dennis," Beckett said. "And the jealousy turns to rage-"

"And he or she kills them," Castle said. "Yeah, we need to try and talk to the couple the two were talking to at dinner."

"But for now," Beckett said, looking to their left. "Watch the sunrise?" she asked her husband as she saved what they had on the murder board.

"Sure," Castle said. "But you're not tired?"

"It's almost seven thirty," Beckett said, looking at the clock on her nightstand as she set the tablet there. "I think breakfast in the dining room starts at eight right?"

"It does," Castle said with a nod.

"Then we sleep for an hour after this, get ready and go out to the hotel to see if hopefully we can find out what Hill is doing, and maybe find that couple," Beckett told him.

"Sounds good to me," Castle agreed with a nod. "But that's not a lot of sleep."

"For you or for me?" Beckett asked him.

"Both of us love," Castle said, kissing her temple as he pulled her over until she was sitting on his lap, both of them looking to the east.

Leaning against her husband, Beckett glanced at him as his gaze was outside and she whispered his name before he turned to her. She tilted her head slightly to him and as they began to kiss she held him tightly. The kiss was very slow and they lingered for as long as they possibly could until they parted, going slowly then as well. She pressed her cheek to his shoulder as they looked back out, seeing the sky had lightened a little more. "Is there any reason?" she asked.

"Any reason for what?" Castle asked, wondering what she meant. When she didn't answer he looked down at her, wondering if she was asleep but saw she was still awake. He was going to ask her his question again, when she kissed him, and he forgot what they'd been talking about as she made that kiss a lot more passionate as she stroked at the back of his head slowly. When they parted, he looked with her outside the window and laughed slightly when they saw the sun was up beyond the trees. "Well, at least we got to see a part of it," he commented.

"That's true," Beckett said, neither of them bothering to move. They kept their gaze on the east and she studied the way the first sunlight of the day broke through the trunks of the trees. "Well, I guess we should get some sleep," she said with a sigh.

Hearing that, Castle waited for Beckett to get off him before he quickly said, "You know we don't have to look into this," feeling guilty. "We could just leave everything for the police."

"No, I know it'll be on your mind until the killer is found," Beckett said. "And also for our safety we should try to find him; or her. If it's a serial killer after couples then we could be next."

"Anyone could be," Castle said with a nod of agreement. "But we should try to focus on our vacation too."

"I'm interested in seeing how you want to do that; but okay," Beckett said with a smile. She slipped under the covers and waited for Castle to lie down before she laid on him, her cheek pressed to his chest.

"You know," Castle said, watching his wife closely. "If you want to take a picture you should."

Looking up at him, Beckett was about to protest that she didn't, but seeing the knowing expression on his face she finally gave up and sighed, going over to her camera on the dresser before laying down with him again.

"From here?" Castle asked in surprise.

"Yes," Beckett said shortly. "Don't move," she told him as she rested the camera on his chest. She smiled as he sucked in a breath of air, and then quickly took the shot, showing it on the screen to her husband.

"Great, when we make a book from all the pictures on this trip I'm definitely going to put this one as the opening picture," Castle said.

"We'll need to decide on that," Beckett told him as she set her camera on her nightstand before pressing close to his side again. "And wait and see what the rest of our pictures look like."

"Do we have our other camera?" Castle asked, leaning over to look at the closet where their suitcases were.

"Get some sleep Rick," Beckett admonished him. "And that's at home; I told you we're not bringing that one on trips for someone to steal and find those pictures of us, and then sell them to the media or post them on the internet."

"Good point," Castle said, running his hand over her hair. "Alright, then goodnight love."

"Night," Beckett said with a smile, shaking her head before she let herself relax.

Castle did the same as well but he had to wonder if either of them was going to be able to fall asleep. He knew his wife had to be thinking of their unofficial case, as he was, and he tried his hardest to sleep but it was a struggle; different theories and suspects running through his head. And he was like that for so long that he never knew when he finally nodded off, thinking of an old employee killing the victims at random to get back at the resort and how that would work before he suddenly was asleep and dreaming deeply. Not about the fire luckily, but his wife and the sun streaming over her body as he had her in his arms, far more restful as the actual sun outside their new accommodations rose steadily above the horizon.


	5. Early In The Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Midnight Special which was arranged by "Lead Belly" Ledbetter and Alan Lomax, the version I'm taking it from is sung by Paul McCartney from his album Off the Ground: The Complete Works.

Sitting up slowly in bed, Beckett blinked her eyes a few times trying to remember where she was as the room was unfamiliar to her upon awakening. She breathed out slightly as she recalled in a kind of rush what had happened only a few hours before and she turned to her husband who was still asleep, his arm stretched out to her side; where she'd been laying a moment before. Though she easily remembered the case as well as the events of the night before she decided that she didn't really have to worry about it right that second and she turned over onto her stomach, laying as close to Castle's side as she could.

Beckett was very careful when she brushed his lower lip with her fingers as she studied his face, seeing he looked incredibly relaxed. She bit her own lower lip as he made a soft noise, and she couldn't stop herself leaning forward and kissing him gently, basically brushing her lips against his. She felt them twitch slightly in response and she smiled at that before pulling away. She pushed some of his hair off his forehead, realizing that he was opening his eyes slowly. "Morning," she told him with a smile.

"Hey, the alarm didn't go off," Castle said sleepily.

"Not yet," Beckett said, putting her head on her hand, her elbow propping her arm up. She was running her fingertips lightly over his jaw and saw that he was slowly waking up more before he sat up suddenly, making her go with him. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, forgot we'd gotten moved," Castle said, looking around. "I almost expected we'd be back in our hotel room."

"I know, the same thing happened to me," Beckett told him with a smile as she watched him look around.

"One thing I was wondering, where's the bathroom?" Castle asked. "Oh no, don't tell me there's an old outhouse outside," he said.

"The door downstairs in the corner furthest from that little kitchen?" Beckett suggested to him.

"Good place for it," Castle said, leaning back against the headboard before he looked at his wife. "So how'd you sleep? You got up before the alarm," he said as she grabbed her phone from her nightstand to turn it off.

"I slept fine, I just woke up," Beckett said. "I know, you figure after last night I would have slept until noon, but that's what happened," she told him simply when she could feel his gaze on her.

"Nothing wrong with that, it happens," Castle said. "So I'm wondering if you want to do a little bit of investigating today."

"A little bit?" Beckett asked him in surprise.

"Yeah, I mean we don't have at our disposal everything we have with the Hamptons PD," Castle explained. "Plus you want to keep our investigating quiet too, so probably would be better to just do a little and then spend the rest of the day… somewhere."

"Somewhere," Beckett said with a knowing smile as she stretched her arms above her head; her phone back on the nightstand. "I think you still want to go to those baths."

"I would but I'll be a gentleman and let you decide," Castle told her in a mock dignified tone of voice.

"Gentleman? After the way you ravished me?" Beckett teased him as she turned to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "You were before we got back to our room, but once that door was closed behind us you do realize you became my lover…"

Shuddering at her tone of voice as she said that; since it dropped in timbre slightly; Castle put his hands on the small of her back and told her, "I hope I was, but you know I did that because you were screaming it to me."

"In what way?" Beckett asked, surprised at that.

"Well, after I took you on the table," Castle said, not surprised when his wife flushed slightly in reaction that, biting her lower lip. "The way you made me take off your shoes with nothing more than just leaning back against the table I knew what you needed and wanted. And that's what I gave to you. Plus I did worship you, because I adore you Kate."

"What are you trying to do right now?" Beckett asked her husband, trying to keep in control of her emotions.

"I'm just stating a fact," Castle replied. When his wife looked at him he grinned and said, "There's a shower downstairs… or a bath, I'm not sure which. Or even both."

"I thought you'd be tired of that by now," Beckett said jokingly.

"Oh no, not after the way you made me pass out last night. Now I'm making it my mission to make sure we make one another black out as many times as possible while we're making love," Castle told her seriously, pressing on the small of her back a little harder to bring her to him closer. "Plus have as many mind blowing orgasms as we can. And I want to hear you screaming for me too."

"So… I guess the case isn't weighing that heavily on your mind either is it?" Beckett asked him, biting on her lower lip a little hard.

"Well, at the moment no," Castle admitted. "But I don't get the feeling this was a serial killer."

"Why?" Beckett asked, surprised at that.

"Just because of the fact that he didn't take them out to the lake and dump their bodies," Castle replied. "Or tried to drag them into the woods; taken one of those carts; and left them in the middle of nowhere, where they'd be almost impossible to find."

"You make an interesting point," Beckett said. "I'm wondering-" she began to say.

"You can wonder later," Castle told her before he kissed her. He held her tightly to him then; as much as he could without physically melding their bodies together; and then kissed her deeply, trying to explore her mouth as much as he could when she quickly parted her lips to his searching tongue.

Moaning softly, Beckett wasn't all that surprised to soon find herself on Castle's lap, but let out a cry when she was. "You… you were only asleep for an hour," she said, looking at him.

"Should I take a cold shower? Or bath?" Castle asked her.

"No, don't waste that," Beckett said as they leaned in towards one another again. "Or the water," she quickly continued with before they were closing the gap between them and kissing a little hungrily.

Castle became frantic, clutching and grabbing his wife's body as firmly as he could, not sure what had brought that about. They hadn't gotten much sleep the night before but he felt oddly full of energy and had to wonder how much adrenaline desire provided the human body with. But that question was never answered as Beckett was pulling back from him with a gasp as he suddenly pulled her shirt off. He shuddered suddenly at the sight of her naked upper body, and he reached around from her back to her breasts, seeing her watching him in his peripheral vision as his thumbs circled her nipples. As she shivered in his hands and leaned against him slightly he said, " _This is why we're here love, to have each other whenever we want_ ," as he glanced up at her at that movement.

Wondering if he meant to use Irish to get her to agree, Beckett smiled through her arousal and told him, "I know and you have to listen to that word; whenever." When he looked up at her she simply told him, " _Now is whenever my love_ ," she said.

"Always is whenever too," Castle pointed out to her.

"It is, but now Rick please," Beckett begged him.

Studying her face to see that she was serious, Castle nodded and then got out of the bed quickly with her saying, "This is going to be an appetizer- don't put that back on."

"I'm not going down without my shirt," Beckett said, trying to keep him from taking her pajama shirt out of her hand but not succeeding as he tossed it back onto the bed. She wasn't too surprised when he didn't listen to her, instead led her down to bathroom, where they paused, seeing it was very modern and very white. "Nice," she said before she felt her pajama pants being pulled down. "And wait, what did you mean by this being an appetizer?" she asked, recalling what he'd told her upstairs.

"That this is an appetizer and things will be much better tonight," Castle said as he watched her step out of the rest of her pajamas pooled around her feet on the floor.

"What if I don't want to tonight?" Beckett asked, helping him with his clothes before they rushed into the shower.

"You're going to have a headache?" Castle asked her, already starting to get on his knees.

"I- Rick!" Beckett cried as her husband quickly found her clit. She leaned against the wall behind her moaning as he didn't try to tease her, just went directly to pleasuring her as she tried to hold onto the tiles at her back.

With Castle using both his mouth and his hands soon after that, he had Beckett climaxing in short order since he managed to find her g-spot with his index finger inside of her. As soon as he had stood up though he found himself with his back against the wall as she pleasured him, also using her mouth and hands. It took little time for her to make him orgasm and as soon as she'd finished he made her stand up, kissing her so hard they were crushing their lips together not really caring that they were as they were enjoying the heavy pressure that made their lips throb almost at the same exact time. But finally they remembered where they were when they parted, realizing they were wet and they hurried to clean each other off before heading back up to the bedroom.

"If that's your idea of an appetizer…" Beckett began as she took off the towel wrapped around her waist and then lay back on the bed. She was quiet for a long moment before she finally looked up at her husband who was watching her intently and said, "I'm looking forward to tonight."

"You missed some water, right here…" Castle said in response to that, knowing she like expected a smart ass comment from him with the smile on her face. But instead he climbed on top of her, ditching his towel on the way and he leaned down flicking his tongue over a damp patch of skin he'd been able to notice in the light on her shoulder. When it was gone; though she was still moist from him in that exact spot; he moved up to her lips, not surprised when she quickly kissed him.

Wrapping her arms around her husband, Beckett held onto him tightly as that kiss seemed to go on forever. But she knew they were parting for air; they had to; though it was so fast that they didn't really notice their quick breaths. Finally though, they pulled away and stayed apart as she started to brush her fingertips over her husband's cheek. "So… should we get up?" she asked him with a smile.

"I… yeah," Castle said, the last word sounding a little dejected in tone. When he saw his wife was looking at him questioningly he said, "I forgot about our case."

Sighing as he got up off of her, Beckett cried out when he suddenly squeezed her breast in passing and she said, "I don't think I'll forget," giving him a look.

Letting out an annoyed groan, Castle got up with his wife and they started to get dressed, not having a hard time to pick out what to wear; since they only had two options for shirts each. "You know, I'm so glad I don't have plaid pants," he commented, watching Beckett button up her blouse. "Also that one of my non-plaid shirts made it through the smoke damage. Any reason you bought that shirt? _The Lumberjack Song_?" he asked her when she turned to him.

"Castle," Beckett said warningly, since she was wearing a blue and green plaid blouse that she'd bought before the trip.

"What? You think Julia made you try it on because we told her about lumberjacks?" Castle said. "I'm joking, I'm joking," he said quickly to her look. "You do look beautiful."

"She picked it because of the colors," Beckett said. "And when Eliza seemed to fall in love with it… I couldn't really get out of trying it on."

"But you do like it," Castle said.

"I wouldn't have bought it just because our daughters liked it," Beckett said. She then smiled as she zipped the fly of her jeans; since her husband was watching her closely as she was doing that; and told him, "She kept asking that though; if I liked it to make sure."

Smiling Castle went over to her and put his arms around her to hold the small of her back saying, "Well, if you like it, then I think that's what matters."

"Yes, stop looking down my shirt love," Beckett said, turning his head away, since he was looking down her undershirt. "Now, what do we do if that couple-" she started to say before her husband was suddenly kissing her, and hard.

Castle had wanted just a quick moment before they turned their attention back to the case, and he slipped his tongue in her mouth; relieved he could do so since it meant she didn't mind the sudden interruption. He held her close to him, so much so that he was in real danger as he realized he could feel her breasts pressed against his chest. At that point he had to break off the kiss, looking at her intently. "I find myself hating this case," he told her as they stared at each other.

"Me too," Beckett breathed. She pulled him down to her again; luckily he hadn't moved too far back; and she brushed her lips to his before letting him go. "Okay, so seriously love, if the couple isn't there…?"

"We'll ask around, what were their names?" Castle asked, looking at his watch to see if breakfast was still going on.

"Scott and Lisa," Beckett said. "Winsor," she then said quickly as she suddenly remembered their last names.

"Right… interesting last name," Castle said, pausing. He went with her to the end of the bed to put on their shoes and then studied her saying, "Are you going to be warm?"

"I will," Beckett said with a smile. "I have a coat if you recall," she said while standing up. She slapped his hand away as it ran over his side and told him, "Later tonight, promise?"

Letting out a suffering sigh, Castle nodded and said, "Tonight," before getting up and following her downstairs to where there had been a small closet the night before, and they'd hung their outer layers. Putting them on quickly, he stepped out first and breathed out at the cold that seemed to hit him instantly. After Beckett had closed and locked the door behind them, he took her hand and walked down the path back to the hotel. As they were going, he noticed his wife kicking at the snow along the edge and asked, "Good?"

"Pretty good, though I'm a little unsure where they plan to do that snurfing you told me about here," Beckett said. "I don't see many hills."

"They might build one," Castle said.

"Small hill to do that on," Beckett said with a smile. "But I hope we get a chance to do that when we're not investigating."

"We'll try," Castle promised her before they reached the building.

Walking inside the lobby, Beckett wasn't surprised when another concierge called them over and she wound her scarf off of her neck as they went over. "Can we leave our things here?" she asked the woman.

"Of course, I was instructed to ask you how is the cabin?" the concierge asked.

"It's great, and thank whoever it was that set us up there for doing that," Castle said, putting his coat on the counter after Beckett had done so.

"I will," the woman replied with a nod. "Breakfast is still going on if you've come in for that."

Nodding, Beckett took her husband's hand and they walked to the ballroom, not surprised to see the set up for the meal was the same as the day before. She looked around and then squeezed Castle's hand when she saw the couple they were looking for at the back of the line for the buffet. "Let me talk first," she told him softly. When he nodded, she waited for the right opportunity to speak first to the woman; Lisa; she reminded herself. But there didn't seem to be much of a chance until they both reached for the same apple at the end of the food first. "Oh, sorry, go ahead," she said, smiling at her.

"I didn't really want a green apple, thanks," she told Beckett as she took the last yellow and pink one. "Did you not want one either?"

"I'm fine with a green one," Beckett replied simply. "Lisa right?"

"Yes, Lisa Winsor," she said, nodding. "And this is my husband Scott. You're the writers aren't you?"

"We are," Castle said. "I'm Richard Castle and this is my wife Kate Beckett. You guys have any smoke in your room last night?"

"No," Scott replied as they were walking to the table for the people who'd formerly been on the eighth floor. "We were lucky. I think you two had it the worst, probably why they put you in a cabin."

"It was pretty bad," Beckett said, glancing around for any name cards, a little surprised when there were none, and she could see the Maxtones were talking with another couple on the other side of the table. "We're hoping they clean our clothes quickly since we didn't have that much that doesn't smell like smoke."

"Too bad, so are you enjoying it here besides that fact?" Lisa asked as they were starting to eat. "Have you been to Canada before?"

"I have; Toronto," Castle said, glancing at his wife. When Beckett smiled slightly at him he quickly understood what she was doing. "But this is our first time here at the resort. You two?"

"We've been here once," Scott said. "A couple years back, so it was nice to return and see the place again. It's great, despite what happened last night."

"It is, I'll agree," Beckett said. "Did you ever go snurfing when you were here?"

"You're a snowboarder?" Lisa asked. When Beckett nodded slightly she smiled saying, "Me too and we did do that here. They have a small hill a little south of us; but believe me when I say it's small. But I heard that's what the first snurfers did, go down a small hill, so it's still fun."

"Yeah, it's funny, because Hill takes everyone out there to that," Scott said.

Sharing a quick glance with Beckett, Castle asked, "Is he doing that today at all?"

"He is, we were planning on going if you'd like to join us," Lisa said.

"That would be great," Beckett said with a smile, unable to believe their luck. They were quiet for a moment and then she said, "I can't believe what happened to them though; last night."

"Oh, I know," Lisa said, tears suddenly filling her eyes.

A little surprised at that reaction, Beckett glanced at her husband; seeing he was thinking the same; and she turned to the woman, beginning to apologize before she was interrupted.

"No, it's alright, we knew them," Lisa explained. "They lived down the hall from us in our building in Toronto. Jordan and Angelina were very much in love. And she would tell me about how they were planning to have a very quick wedding since they only had his cousin as family. And they were also going to have a baby too, that's the worst part about last night."

Beckett was going to speak when she froze and said, "She was pregnant?"

"A month, they came here to celebrate, it was why they were so happy," Lisa said, brushing a tear from her cheek.

"So… they didn't smoke right?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, I heard that was the reason they died," Scott said angrily. "They didn't smoke and they wouldn't have knowing she was pregnant. I really wish they could get the police out here but it seems that the snow's packed tight on the highway so the police aren't going to be getting out here for some time."

"So we're isolated?" Beckett said.

"Pretty much," Lisa said before she shivered. "Sorry, it reminds me of _The Shining_ , that book and movie kept me up for weeks."

Nodding slightly, Castle and Beckett made as much small talk with the couple as they could then; unable to really ask about if anyone was threatening the victims as that would have clued the two in that they were investigating. But they were able to talk alone when the two finished before them and they turned quickly, saying goodbye to Scott and Lisa.

"Okay," Castle said quickly, in a low voice though by then the ballroom was nearly empty. "So first, they're a really nice couple, I have my doubts they'd kill them."

"Me too, second?" Beckett asked.

"I'm wondering if the baby was a catalyst for the murder," Castle suggested.

"Which could mean two things," Beckett told him. "One, someone became attracted to Lake or Dennis in the past two days and when he or she found out Lake was pregnant they snapped. They might have been trying to get his or her attention and failed to because of that and the fact they were in love."

"And two someone who knew them followed them," Castle said. He glanced around the room and said, "But there's no one who's single here."

"No," Beckett said. "Unless it's an employee."

"Yeah, there's that," Castle replied with a nod. "What do you think?"

"I don't know we're just guessing at this point, that's all we can do," Beckett replied. "We have no evidence besides what we've noticed the last two days."

"Okay, then how about this," Castle said. "Dennis was in MI6 and he went rogue for Lake. So someone hunted him down and killed them both because of course she saw who killed her fiancé."

"Hmm, he's from Canada," Beckett reminded him. "And according to Scott and Lisa, he was an architect."

"Then he made a horrible temple for the Freemasons?" Castle suggested.

"Apartment buildings Castle, nothing to do with houses," Beckett said, shaking her head though she wasn't really annoyed since they couldn't do anything but speculate. "And we've never come across Masons killing anyone."

"I know," Castle said simply, conceding the point. "And then there's Lake, who was an interior designer… I feel really bad for them now I know they were expecting, going to get married and also start working together building and designing apartments. Kind of like us," he mused.

"I'm not pregnant," Beckett teased him. "And yeah, it's horrible about the baby, I wonder if anyone else is aware of that fact?" she asked, becoming somber then.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they'd told someone," Castle said, grim then as well at the thought of there being three victims. "But you still want to talk to Hill?"

"I do. And you, try to go down without wiping out," Beckett said to lighten up the mood slightly though she was thinking of their daughters.

"Got it," Castle said with a nod before they left the table, going out to the lobby to see how they could join the group heading out to the woods with their suspect.

* * *

"Alright, I know there are some of you who don't know how to do this," Hill was explaining once they'd gotten to the top of the small hill south of the hotel. "So I'll be giving you a quick lesson. And if you fall, don't worry, it takes some time to be able to handle this, it's all part of learning."

Since she was able to snowboard already Beckett listened with half an ear watching the man as he spoke. He showed no signs of remorse; not that she expected that; and he was talking a little more rapidly than he normally did. That she knew was Hill trying to get everyone's minds off the murders, though the employees were still trying to pass it off as an accident. She glanced at her husband next to her, remembering him telling her his theory about the hotel trying to cover up the fact that the vics had been murdered, to protect Hill. But she didn't really think that was the reason; more to protect the resort itself. She then realized that Hill had finished speaking and was asking if anyone wanted to go first. "I will," she called out quickly. She noticed her husband watching her and told him hurriedly, "I'll come back and hopefully he'll be alone enough to talk to."

"Great," Castle responded hurriedly as he followed her to the edge of the slope down. "Just don't give him any hint he can do more than flirt with you."

Eying him, Beckett said, "I'm still remembering that appetizer," before she turned to Hill, a little surprised the activities director was standing close by and had heard that. "Sorry, I just gave him a few hints," she said, setting down the board that was a pre-cursor to the snowboard; though it had holders for her feet. She picked up the rope, smiling at Hill as she put her goggles over her eyes.

"Okay, you're a snowboarder," the man said, smiling back at her. "So just go ahead and head down. But remember that rope is to help your body steer as well."

"I'll remember," Beckett said with a nod before she took off down the hill. It took her a little time to remember to use the rope and not just her body, but she finally got it, just as she was sliding from the bottom of the slope to flat land. She reached down and unbuckled her feet before she went back around to the side, thinking of how to open a conversation with Hill, who she noticed was already eying her.

Watching his wife walking around, Castle held himself back, as she'd told him to do; though he really wanted to rush down there to join her coming back up. He finally went just before Beckett came back; one of the last people to go down; and he nodded absently to what Hill was saying before he took off. He was lucky he'd begged his wife to show him how to properly stand on a board before they'd left the cabin, as he managed to get further down than he expected before he fell, his feet ending up in the air somehow. He got the board off and carried it as he joined some of the people going up, while others were going over to the lake together. He tried not to stare at the two figures together at the top, but it was hard not to wonder what Beckett and Hill were talking about; or to wonder if the activities director was looking at his wife as he'd been before she'd gone down on her board.

"Not bad, not everyone's getting the hang of this," Hill said when Beckett reached him. "Not even your husband."

"Well he's more of a skier, so that doesn't surprise me," she replied easily though she was a little irritated at his tone. "Are you heading down?"

"When everyone's finished and ready to head back," Hill replied. "I have to make sure everyone's going down in an orderly manner."

"Of course, I've noticed that you've been doing that at the resort as well," Beckett told him.

"Oh you've seen that," Hill said, sounding appreciative. When she nodded he quickly said, "Mr. Morrissey hired me for that purpose, to make sure everyone wants to come back."

"You're doing a pretty good job, I just wish that fire last night hadn't happened," Beckett said, not looking at him then.

"Yes, that was a fiasco," Hill said.

Beckett waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she said, "I can imagine it would be when two people die."

"You're right, it definitely is," Hill replied, looking closely at her then. "Are you two getting along alright in that cabin?"

"Of course it's really nice, thank you for putting us there," Beckett replied, not missing the subject change.

"It was Mr. Morrissey's decision and it was a good one actually, I'm sure you'll enjoy those books," Hill said, stepping closer to her.

"My husband and I will," Beckett said, wanting to put the kibosh on any further flirting on the activities director's part though she had to keep going she knew. She then hurried to strap herself onto her board to keep herself from stopping, saying, "I wonder why the smoke alarms didn't go off though; that was a little scary."

"Oh, the alarms in your suite, 830 and 840 are all broken it appears. It took the smoke detector in the security room to let us know about the fire; we were already on the way when you were coming down the stairs," Hill reminded her.

Beckett wanted to ask the man what he'd been doing when the alarm had gone off but she couldn't ask without revealing hers and Castle's investigation. So instead she said, "Well, I'm glad for that at least. I'd better take another run down while it's still open." She was relieved when the man nodded and headed down, trying to concentrate on turning back and forth without falling which she just managed to do before coming to a stop on flat snow again. She then remained where she was, waiting for her husband who she saw was at the top of the hill.

"Your wife's pretty good at that," Hill commented to Castle when he stepped up to the start of the slope.

"Yeah," he said, studying the man closely to see if there was some kind of entendre in what he'd said. But since the man was wearing goggles too he couldn't tell and he stepped onto his board before he started down. And almost as soon as he did he felt a hand on the middle of his back, sending him flying down the hill, rolling until he got to the bottom of it and spitting out snow that had filled his mouth. He heard his wife calling his name and looked up to see her running to him.

"Are you okay?" Beckett asked, kneeling next to him.

"Yeah, some idiot pushed me though," Castle said angrily as he got one foot freed and Beckett did the same to his other. He stood and said, "I thought he was trying to taunt me about you."

"Who? Hill?" Beckett asked in surprise. When he nodded she looked up in time to see the man going back up to the top from a little ways down the slope and she frowned, wondering why he'd done that if he didn't have his board on. "He might have gotten suspicious when we talked."

"Are you heading back up?" Castle asked her. When she shook her head he said, "Then let's go back, have lunch in the cabin and try and get an actual murder board."

Beckett wasn't really sure how exactly they'd be able to do that but she went with him, quiet at first because she was trying to brush off the snow still on her husband. But finally she started telling him what they'd talked about, not surprised to see him pursing his lips slightly in his anger.

"He's got to be the killer love," Castle told her. "But I was thinking; for some reason right as I was going down the hill; that there's no way he could have overpowered Dennis on his own. He was pretty bulky under his clothes if you remember yesterday when he was talking to Hill."

"I remember," Beckett said. "And also the same height as him too. So if it's Hill, then he could have a friend on the staff working with him."

"But then the problem becomes finding out who that might be," Castle said. "I have to wonder if this guy has friends," he said, gesturing back with his thumb as they made it to the path to the hill that was fairly worn down so the snow was easier to walk on.

"Then it could be someone that he pressured into helping him," Beckett said. "That doesn't really help us though."

"I know, since we've gotten as far as we can," Castle said. "Though, I wonder if there are any people who've been fired in the past two days."

"That quickly?" Beckett asked. She then realized what he meant and said, "Someone Hill threatened to fire and he decided to blackmail this person to get their job back if they helped them kill Dennis and Lake. I don't know you figure they'd go to someone higher up; like the owner."

"Again, this is where a murder board that's bigger than the tablet comes in handy," Castle said, taking his wife's hand.

"And what do you mean by that exactly? An actual murder board?" Beckett asked.

Squeezing his wife's hand gently Castle told her, "If I can get it, you'll see what I mean." When she looked at him he quickly said, "You will, I promise. But for now, a bath and lunch?"

Beckett merely nodded, smiling before she squeezed his hand back as they made their way to the hotel.

* * *

Lifting up the water with his hand, Castle watched it trickle down before his wife's hand appeared out of the corner of his eye and took his. "What?" he asked.

"You keep doing that," Beckett said in amusement. "And I'm getting wrinkled, so we should get out."

"I don't know," Castle said, kissing her neck since she'd put her hair up for their bath. "I'm still a little cold."

"Liar," Beckett said with a smile on her face. She moved out of his hold and turned around to face him saying, "I think you're about as warm as you're going to get."

Sighing since he didn't really have any other excuse to keep her there, Castle said, "Alright, but it was nice to get a break."

"A break," Beckett said, still smiling as she stood up before he did. She watched him grab a towel and dry himself off in a rush before he got another one for her. She stopped him when he tried to dry her off and said, "Another day. I'd like to see what you managed to do in regards to a murder board."

"Sure," Castle said, though as he did he was taking her towel back from her. He started to dry her off carefully, not trying to make his touch sexual. That was difficult but he still enjoyed it until he had to step back since he had finished. He watched her take her hair down and grab her clothes before he realized she was looking at him. "I know, I'm still wet," he said quickly before he dried himself off better with his towel.

When they were both dressed, Beckett sat on the couch in front of the fireplace as Castle ordered their lunch. She had the book they'd bought for Julia down there and she was reading when he hung up and sat down next to her. "We could work now," she suggested, marking her place and looking over at him.

"Let's extend the break," Castle told her. "And I'm wondering if maybe you want to do something else today?"

"Ah, the vacation part of our trip is appealing to you," Beckett said with a smile.

"It did already before the murders," Castle said quickly. "But I'm also realistic."

"Since when," Beckett replied, laughing slightly.

"Fair enough," Castle said with a nod to that. "But I've had fun being at leisure with you," he told her, smiling when she did so at his choice of words. "So let's go… do something."

"Can't think of anything?" Beckett asked.

"I'd like to decide with you," Castle said. "Though I was sort of thinking about skating again," he said slowly, looking at his wife.

"We didn't really do that a lot yesterday," Becket said with a nod. "And that would be fun. But let's wait for after dinner."

"Skating at night?" Castle asked since by then it would be dark. When she nodded he said, "Great, I look forward to that. But what do you want to do between lunch and dinner?"

Watching as he went over to the door as there had been a knock against it, Beckett stood and set her book down before going to the table. She watched the woman that had come in; studying her for a moment before shaking her head when she noticed her husband was watching her. She murmured thanks to her when their meal was set out and after Castle had tipped her and had seen her out she said, "There's got to be a lot of people working here."

"I know, it'd be next to impossible to talk to them all without them getting suspicious," Castle said, frowning. "Which is a shame, because I was hoping this would be a lot easier."

"What exactly did you order?" Beckett asked as they sat down.

"Moose," Castle said. "Joking, I'm kidding!" he said as she pushed at him since they'd put their chairs close together. He laughed as she lifted the cover off her plate and saw that she had a sandwich. "They're turkey; it's a pretty big thing around here, since I saw a turkey omelet for breakfast and a turkey dinner."

"We'll be having turkey next week," Beckett teased him as she picked up one half of her sandwich. "But this isn't too bad," she said. "I've been wondering, did you ever have _Poutine_ when you were in Toronto?"

"No, I was eating around my hotel, restaurants and never came across it in their menus," Castle told her. "Do you want to try it?"

"They have it in the menu?" Beckett asked him.

"They did," Castle said. "Want me to get some."

"I'm fine," Beckett said. "You?"

"Pretty good," Castle said, looking out the window nearest to them and seeing the snow in between the trees surrounding their cabin. "You know I wonder if we might try out snowshoeing," he said suddenly.

Finishing her bite of sandwich, Beckett followed his gaze as it was still outside and she smiled saying, "What about cross-country skiing?"

"I think snowshoeing would be easier and I've never done that before," Castle said. "Maybe we could do both?"

Still smiling Beckett said, "We'll do the snowshoeing but I hope I don't end up constantly falling over," pointing her sandwich in her hand at him.

"I'll help you up," Castle told her easily. He smiled when she rolled her eyes and was about to say something else when his phone rang. "Great, looks like we can call them tonight," he said, going to it on the table next to the couch. "It's Mother," he said, looking at his wife in slight concern.

Sitting up a little straighter as he sat back down next to her, Beckett watched him turn on the phone and then put it immediately to speaker. "Martha is anything wrong?" she asked, worried herself already.

"Everything's fine," Castle's mother assured her. "Your daughter was a little fussy just now while I was trying to eat lunch with her; I thought she could talk to you to calm down."

"Of course," Castle said, jumping up to get his tablet which had also been on the table. He turned it on and got Skype set up before he saw Eliza appearing on the screen. "Hey sweetheart," he said with a smile.

"Where's Mommy?" the little girl asked anxiously.

"I'm right here," Beckett said as Castle sat next to her again. She smiled when their youngest looked relieved and waved slightly before Eliza asked them, "Are you eating?"

"We are," Castle said. "Your gram told us that you were having lunch too but you're not eating your food."

"I miss you," Eliza said simply, frowning a little at that.

"We miss you too but we'll be home soon we promise," Beckett said, not blaming for the little girl for being lonely; as she had a feeling she was. "And your sister will be home in a couple hours, so you'll be able to play with her."

"But you won't be able to if you're too tired," Castle pointed out, realizing then what his wife had figured out already. "So eat all of your lunch and take a nap and you can play with Julia."

"Kay, but I wanna play with you when you come home, you too Mommy," Eliza said, turning to look at her mother as well.

"I look forward to that sweetie," Beckett replied with a smile. "We'll call you tonight again okay? We want to see Julia too."

"Kay, do I say you love her?" Eliza asked.

"Please," Castle told her, smiling when she giggled. "And I love you too sweetheart."

"I love you Daddy, lots, lots," Eliza replied, pursing her lips to him.

"I love you Eliza," Beckett said with a smile as the little girl turned to her next. "And I hope you'll tell us everything you and your sister do."

"Yeah," Eliza replied, nodding her head. "Love you Mommy, lots, lots like Daddy."

"Okay go eat lunch and have fun playing later," Castle said. He and Beckett said goodbye to their youngest daughter and then his mother before he turned off the tablet. "Well that wasn't as bad as the first time we left for a trip," he commented.

"I know," Beckett replied, remembering when she and Castle had gone down to the Florida Keys for a weekend when Eliza was thirteen months old. Their youngest had cried when they'd been leaving the house and had apparently called for them often during their trip. But as they'd taken a couple more trips after that their daughter had calmed down a little, though she had still missed them. She and her husband went back to their meal but ate quietly for a while before she said, "I feel a little guilty leaving her when she's not in school yet."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that too," Castle agreed. "Since she doesn't have any friends at the moment; well, Mari but that's because she's Julia's friend. But she'll be in school next year let's hope she makes friends then."

"She will," Beckett said with a smile. "You know how she is when she plays."

"That's true," Castle replied. "But I'm looking forward to seeing her again, giving her that moose."

"And that's why I didn't like you suggested we'd be eating moose," Beckett said, shaking her head at him. "Though I think that's why you said that?"

"Yeah," Castle said, since they'd checked on the stuffed animal for their daughter to make sure it didn't smell like smoke when they'd gotten back from snurfing; having forgotten to do so before then. "What do you think she'll name him?" he asked his wife.

"I don't know," Beckett said. "But Julia might try to help."

"And Eliza would want her to," Castle said with a smile. "Remember her teddy bear your dad bought her?"

"I wasn't surprised when Julia immediately suggested Rupert," Beckett said. "But it was a surprise that Eliza picked that one in the end," she continued before a wide smile spread across her face. "I shouldn't have been, since-"

"Eliza loves her sister," Castle finished for her. When his wife nodded he said, "I really hope they stay like that as they're growing up."

"They might, Alexis and her sisters still get along," Beckett replied. "But we'll have to see how that turns out of course. For now," she said before she finished the last bite of her sandwich. "Finish your food and we'll get back to work," then eating the last chip that had been on the plate as well.

Castle didn't reply to that as he was finishing off the last of the meal before taking a sip of the wine he'd gotten from the cellar in the small kitchen. "Okay," he told his wife as he stood up and took their plates to the counter to get it out of their way. "When we were taking back the boards," he said as he pulled something from the closet by the door. "I asked for this."

"A huge sheet of paper?" Beckett asked him as he rolled it out and put a book on one of the corners.

"Yeah I lied and said I might try my hand at sketching the landscape we can see from the bedroom," Castle said. "But the way the guy who handed it over to me was looking at me and made me think that he thought it was to enact that _Titanic_ scene."

"Like I would agree to that," Becket said as they stood above the table since they'd weighed down each corner with books. She then noticed her husband was looking at her and said, "Rick!"

"What?" he asked with a laugh. "That should be a compliment for you."

"You take pictures of me already," Beckett said, narrowing her eyes at him. But she only did that for a moment before she smiled slightly and said, "Get a pen for us to write with."

When he'd come back with a sharpie, Castle handed it to her and let her copy what they had on their tablet onto the paper. He walked over to the window as she was doing that, glancing at the sky to check on the weather before he looked at his watch. When he looked back out the window he did so for so long that his wife had to come over to him.

"What's up?" Beckett asked when Castle turned to her.

"Nothing, just wondering if it was going to snow again before we could call the girls," he replied quickly. He breathed out when she took that excuse; though when he thought about that he had to admit he was thinking about that too; and then followed her over to the table. "Okay, so…" he said.

"Yeah, we're a little stuck," Beckett replied with a sigh, capping the marker. "I was thinking though, about the fire. Maybe it was to hide signs of a struggle as well."

Thinking about that, Castle nodded saying, "Their skin was pretty black with the flames and smoke. You're thinking there was something that might have identified the killer? Like a ring?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure," Beckett said, sitting down. She then tapped the pen against the table before asking him, "But did you notice anything on their faces? Swelling or a broken nose?"

"I think there was some swelling on Dennis' jaw," Castle said after he thought for a moment about that. "What about Lake?"

"Not really," Beckett said. "So I would guess that he tried to protect his fiancée, and the baby."

"Likely," Castle agreed with a nod. "And that probably means that the killer closed the door behind them, cutting off the noise. If this is a resort for couples, then the rooms are probably soundproofed," he suggested.

"So they'd know to close the door and keep anyone from being able to hear any kind of a struggle," Beckett said as Castle nodded to that. "And they also cleaned up," she pointed out.

"True," Castle said, thinking about the room in his mind and remembering the fact that there had been absolutely nothing out of place when they'd gone into it early that morning. He leaned against the table on his hands and said, "It could mean there wasn't any fight that took place in the room, just confined to the bed."

"Do you really believe that?" Beckett asked. When her husband thought about that for a moment and then shook his head, she smiled before saying, "Well, we have some more information about the two so I guess that's a step forward. Plus what I got from Hill, so that-"

A knock at the door cut her off and looking at each other, Castle and Beckett went over to it before he looked out the peephole and opened it.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett?" the man on the other side asked. When the two nodded he said, "Wonderful to meet you, my name is Alfred Morrissey, I'm the owner of the resort. I was wondering if I might talk to you?" as he shook their hands.

"Sure," Beckett said before they stepped aside for him to enter.

"I hope you're enjoying the cabin, I suggested it after hearing about the smoke damage to your room," Morrissey told them.

"It's pretty nice, thank you," Beckett said a little awkwardly, wondering why the man would want to see them. "Can I take your coat?"

"No, no, I just have a simple request to make of you two," the owner said.

"Okay," Castle said, relieved the man didn't want to sit as he saw out of the corner of his eye that the paper murder board was on the table still. "Which is what?" he asked finally.

"I'd like you two to look into the murders that happened last night," Morrissey said simply. When Castle and Beckett just looked at him in shock he gave them a slight smile and said, "It was brought to my attention that you two broke into suite 840 last night, and I know a little bit about you two working together when you used to be a Homicide Detective Ms. Beckett. The RCMP is unfortunately stranded in Sault Ste. Marie right now, as there isn't any kind of equipment available to clear the roads. And I know the story of the fire being set by cigarettes isn't going to last for long, I can't have the guests panicking especially since we're stuck until they can clear us out to Michipicoten at least. So I'd like you two to become investigators again, do whatever you need to do to find the killer. And if you agree all I ask is that you be discreet with the guests, not clue them in to the murders."

"And you think we'd be able to do that," Beckett stated.

"I also saw footage of you two visiting the bodies in the kitchen freezer, so I know you've started already," Morrissey replied. "So yes, I think you could find them. What do you say?"

Looking at each other for a moment, Castle lightly quirked the corner of his lip into a smile before his wife gave him a brief nod.

"We'll take the case," Beckett said simply, turning back to Morrissey.

When the owner looked at him, Castle quickly said, "What she said," as he nodded at the same time in agreement with his wife.


	6. Searching Every Which Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Searchin' by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the version I've taken from is sung by The Beatles from their album Anthology 1.

"So we have help now looking into the employees," Beckett stated, hanging a blouse in the closet. "But what are we going to do about the guests?"

"I'm not sure," Castle said, sitting on the edge of the bed watching her. Right as Morrissey was leaving an employee had delivered their cleaned clothes and he and Beckett had decided to take the chance to talk while they were getting everything put away. "But we'll see what happens when we look at that security footage."

"True," Beckett mused. She then shook her head and went back to hanging up the rest of her clothes before she watched Castle do the same. "So according to Morrissey, there weren't any recent firings, and Dennis and Lake had nothing to do with the resort. So someone followed them here but-"

"No one's a new hire," Castle finished for her, turning to her as he'd finished.

"We should probably talk to the Winsors again, to see if they mentioned knowing anyone here," Beckett said.

"In the capacity of investigators?" Castle asked her.

"Yes are you ready?" Beckett then said. When he nodded, she followed him down the stairs and to the closet to get their coats and outer layers before leaving. Reaching the hotel they were relieved not seeing Hill anywhere in sight as they entered the lobby since he was still a prime suspect. They asked the concierge, while they were handing over their things again, where the media room was before they were led by another man to it. "Are you going to be out here to keep watch?" she asked the man.

"That's what Mr. Morrissey asked me to do," the man nodded.

Castle closed the door as Beckett went inside, and then pulled up a chair next to her as she sat down at a computer. "So who're we looking at first? Or is the footage ready?" he said, watching her go onto her e-mail.

"It's ready," Beckett said with a nod. Before Morrissey had left the owner had spoken with her and Castle about keeping things quiet and she had insisted on being sent the security camera footage via her e-mail so they would have an easier time looking at things without alerting other guests. She opened the file and the clip began to play, she and her husband watching closely. "Okay, this is about three fifty five," she said, looking at the time stamp.

"And there's the killer," Castle said as they saw a tall man walking into the shot with a scarf around his neck. "And he knows where the cameras are."

"It could be someone who's been here more than a few times," Beckett replied though she was nodding in agreement. "And he picked the lock too. That might be why he went so late at night."

"To make sure that they were asleep," Castle commented. When she nodded again they waited to see how long it took the man to come back, a little surprised that it wasn't until nearly twenty minutes later. "I don't know if I want to ask why it took so long," he said.

"Neither do I," Beckett said. The clip stopped there but she went back a little and paused before capturing a shot of the killer in front of the door. "For reference," she explained to her husband.

"I figured, should we talk to security to get their help?" Castle asked.

"Yes," Beckett said before she got another e-mail, that one from Morrissey's general manager of the resort; who'd sent her the e-mail with the clip. "This should make it easier," she told him as she opened a download of the records for the employees.

"Do you want to use my tablet?" Castle said. At her nod he waited for her to close the computer before he downloaded the file and said, "Okay, let's go."

Since Morrissey had let them know where the security office was, Beckett led the way without any problems and without meeting any guests since they were away from the lobby. She knocked on the door and told the head of security who opened it, "We're Beckett and Castle."

"Right," the man said, looking her over for a moment. "Morrissey let me know you were coming, did you get the clip?"

"We did," Beckett said before the man stepped aside for her to go in. "And actually we need your help getting the height of the man in the clip."

"Sure," another man said, coming over and handing over a walkie talkie to her, giving the head of security a look. "Eighth floor's deserted, so you shouldn't run into anyone. If you do, we'll see it down here and head up to see why."

"Thanks," Beckett said in relief as she handed him the picture from the security footage she'd managed to print out.

"Welcome, I'll be on the other end," the man; whose nametag identified him as Fraser; said.

"So, who'll be next," Castle said jokingly.

"I hope no one," Beckett said with a slight groan since they were heading back to the lobby. "I'm getting tired of guys doing that to me. Pretty sure most of them know I'm married and a mother; you figure the mother part of it would scare them away."

"Some men like a challenge," Castle said. When he saw his wife was looking at him he quickly said, "I don't like that kind of challenge. The kind you made me go through; that I prefer. Although-" And there he had stop as they were working their way through the lobby and over to the elevators. Luckily they managed to get one to themselves by closing the doors as quickly as they could and he continued telling her, "Although going through that once was enough, thank you."

"I didn't offer for you to go through it again," Beckett said with a slight smile before they reached the eighth floor. Walking over to suite 840 she turned on the radio and said, "Fraser?"

"Yeah, I'm here," the man said on the other end with a crackle of static at first.

"My husband is standing in front of the door right now," Beckett said, watching Castle trying to get into the same position as the man. "Can you tell me if the killer's taller or shorter?"

"He's the same height," the security guard said quickly.

"Alright, thank you we're heading into the room," Beckett said before tucking the walkie talkie back into her pocket. She followed Castle into the room after he'd opened the door with the key card Morrissey had brought them and she shivered as soon as she'd stepped in. "They never closed the windows," she said, pulling on her gloves she'd brought with her.

"Yeah, should I?" Castle asked, since he had his own gloves on as well.

"Yes, the smell of smoke is gone now," Beckett told him, going into the bedroom with him to look at the bed. "Okay so now I'm looking at this closer and in better light," she told her husband after he came over to her from the closed windows. "I see a second fire source, right here."

"And that's where Dennis was laying," Castle said, looking over her shoulder. "His face was pretty burned."

"Amazing you saw that his jaw was swollen," Beckett commented. She went over to the small table next to the bay windows, kneeling to look at the surface of the table.

"Glad we didn't get a table in our room, would have been too crowded," Castle commented, looking over the chairs and running his hands over them to see if there were any nicks or scratches. When his wife didn't comment on that he looked up at her and saw she'd moved from the table to the dresser. "Anything there?" he asked, seeing her looking in the closet.

"No," Beckett said absently, looking at the bottom before she straightened up. "Anything with the chairs?"

"Not even a nick," Castle said. "So are we thinking the same thing?"

"The fight was centered on the bed," Beckett said. "So the killer comes in and manages to get all the way to the bed-"

"Or here," Castle said, standing a little away from the side of the bed where she was at that point; where Dennis had been.

"Or there, and he wakes up Dennis," Beckett continued. "And he punches our vic, most likely knocks him out since it was a shot to the jaw-"

"And he shoots Lake first since at that point she's probably awake and about to scream," Castle continued. "Then Dennis since he's already out. And then he lights the fire. A lot of anger."

"Which has to suggest one of them or both had a past with the killer," Beckett said, not surprised when Castle nodded. "Alright, I think that's all we can get here without a CSU unit," she told him. "Bodies?"

"Bodies, but where are we going to start looking up six-two employees?" Castle asked her while they were leaving the room.

"There's a library right?" Beckett asked him.

"Right, I just hope there's no one there," Castle said.

"We'll see," Beckett told him as they walked into the elevator. She took his hand as they made their way to the kitchen where Fraser was waiting for them. When she saw him she said quickly to her husband, "Good thing he's not six-two or else he'd be a suspect."

"Unfortunately his boss, Hagan, isn't six-two either," Castle told her. "Are they ready for us?" he asked Fraser.

"They are," the man replied, leading them inside the room where the head chef and cooks looked over at them as they walked to the back of the room.

As Fraser held the door open for them, Castle helped Beckett step up onto a box to see Dennis' body. Running his fingers over the man's jaw; he and his wife had switched to rubber gloves that Fraser had handed to them; he felt the bump there and said, "Yeah, it's there."

"See anything?" Beckett asked, handing him a flashlight. "Any marks or is it just bruised?"

"Bruised," Castle said simply. "But no marks on it."

"What about the bullet wound?" Beckett asked.

"He was at a slight angle," Castle said, studying the skin at the edge of the wound. "So I think he made his way at some point; if he wasn't already there; to the side of the bed where you'd been standing."

"Let me see the flashlight," Beckett told him. She took it from her husband and looked over Lake's face, which was slightly less burned than her fiancé's face. But she couldn't see any sign of the woman being struck as her face was clear of bruises, all there was was the bullet wound. She leaned down to take a closer look at it and said, "She was sitting up, look at the angle."

"I agree," Castle said, looking over her shoulder at it. "Alright I think we've seen as much as we can."

"You're right," Beckett said before she followed him out, pocketing her flashlight before taking off her gloves. They both spoke to Fraser; asking him if he could recognize the person in the picture; and after getting a no in response, she asked where the library was.

"So we can take away the idea that the killer had an accomplice," Castle said when they'd reached the library. "At least that's a step forward."

"Yes, but for now," Beckett replied as they settled into two armchairs next to each other at the other end of the room. "Let's just see who's six-two."

"Besides me," Castle said.

"And you were with me that night plus you were as exhausted as I was so I think I can clear you," Beckett replied, taking the tablet from him after he'd downloaded the file. She started to scroll through the pages as Castle watched her and she paused saying, "Here, a bellman," turning the screen to him so he could see.

"Simon Perkins," he read before writing the name down on a pad of paper they'd taken from their cabin. "I almost thought that he was the one who took us up to our suite. Luckily there are cameras in the staff quarters."

"Makes our job easier," Beckett said. "We'll need to try and see if we can review that footage on our own though."

"We'll have to see if anyone in security is that height," Castle told her.

"It's where I was going first…" Beckett started to say before she trailed off. "Another name, a cook in the kitchen, Mark McCafferey."

"Alright, two so far," Castle said. "Actually, three," he told his wife as he wrote down the name Ronald Hill. "Since he's as tall as I am," he said as he leaned the pad towards her so she could see.

"I know," Beckett said, going back to the file. "Okay, a security guard; I forgot to finish what I was saying. I was going to look at security first; I figured they would be the most likely to know how to pick a lock; but they're all mixed with the others. This guy isn't tall enough though."

"Any women that tall?" Castle asked, leaning over.

"Not that I've seen so-" Beckett started to say when all of a sudden her husband was leaning over, kissing her lips as hard as he could. She almost made a noise of protest when he nearly shoved the tablet against her abdomen but then heard someone saying, "Oh! Sorry about that, didn't know anyone was in here," before the door closed and the person left. When they parted shortly after that she asked, "Hill?"

"Yeah, he's really creeping me out," Castle said in annoyance as he looked over at the door to the library. "But hey, that might get him to leave you alone."

"Maybe," Beckett said in amusement though she had to agree with him. "Okay, another name Rusty Cameron; he's another bellman. And another one right after him, Bruce Lyon and he is actually the guy who runs that stall at the miniature golf course."

"Oh yeah… damn. If we could see the guy in the footage better," Castle said. "Was interesting to see him back out of the room, I get the feeling he's moved like that before actually."

"I know, me too," Beckett replied. She spent a while looking through the rest of the names and found one last one saying, "There's a janitor, Donald Fox. And that's it."

"Do any of them live in Toronto during the off season?" Castle asked, leaning over then to see the end of the file on the tablet.

Taking a moment to recheck the names once she had copied the files on those six men onto a document, Beckett said, "I'm seeing two in Toronto, Montreal… Vancouver, Edmonton and Victoria."

"Is Hill the one that lives in Montreal?" Castle asked. When Beckett nodded he started to look hopeful before he frowned and said, "Think we should ask the Winsors if the two had lived there?"

"We could… we should probably do that next actually," Beckett said, standing up as she turned off the screen of the tablet. "Let's just hope we can catch them in their room."

Castle, who was standing at the same time, started to nod when his wife suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt before pulling him down to her. He kissed her and although it wasn't as intense a kiss as the one when Hill had come in, pulling away from her a moment later he knew that she had enjoyed it as much as him as they left the library.

* * *

"Kate, Richard," Lisa Winsor said when she opened the door to find them there. "A surprise to see you, come inside."

"Thank you," Beckett said, waiting until the door was closed again before she spoke. "Is Scott here?"

"I'm here, you needed to see us?" the man asked, coming out into the room from the bedroom.

"We did," Castle said. "And actually we'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention our conversation to anyone."

"The reason for that is because we're actually looking into the death of Jordan and Angelina," Beckett quickly said as the two looked slightly shocked hearing that. "As a favor to the owner since the police aren't able to reach us here."

"So there's a killer on the loose here at the resort," Scott said, putting his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"He's not a serial killer," Castle quickly said. "We're thinking he targeted them specifically and we'd like to ask you about them a little more in detail than we did this morning."

"I wondered why you talked to us all through breakfast," Lisa said as she gestured to the table where they sat down. "You've been pretty friendly with the Maxtones lately."

"That's more because we had to sit next to them," Beckett replied simply. "Do you mind speaking to us? I should tell you, you don't have to do that because we're not the police."

"It's alright," Lisa said quickly. "Whatever we can do to help you out."

"Okay, I'd like to show you these six men and ask you if you recognize them from Toronto, maybe visiting Jordan and Angelina. Or at your building, anything in connection to them," Beckett said as she showed them the pictures of the men on the tablet.

Leaning over, Scott and his wife studied them closely and he shook his head first before Lisa did the same and said, "You know these men are working here right? Oh, I'm an idiot, of course they all are. But no, I've never seen any of these guys in Toronto, definitely not Hill or the mini-golf guy."

"Neither have I," Lisa said when Castle and Beckett looked over at her. "We weren't really that close, we didn't keep track of each other's comings and goings or who they had over. And seeing them around the building… no, we never have. And we'd recognize them because we've seen them working here before."

Nodding his head at that Castle then said, "Did either of them ever talk to you about anyone that was angry with them, or someone they were having problems with? Someone who might have had a problem with their relationship?"

"Not that we know," Lisa replied. She looked at her husband and asked, "What about Jordan?"

"No, he never mentioned anything like that," Scott replied. He was quiet and then said, "He did mention he had a brother, an older brother who ran away from home right before their mother died. She raised them since their father left them when Jordan was about two. But his brother left when he was five and he never saw him again."

"And he'd come back into his life?" Beckett asked.

"That's the thing, he didn't think it was his brother," Scott replied. "An imposter because he was doing pretty well. But he wasn't sure."

"What was the brother's name?" Castle asked.

"Jackson Dennis," Scott replied. "But Jordan just told me the guy had bothered him at a couple construction sites and that was it. He had told the guy; if it was his brother; to take a DNA test but he refused, something about being insulted that his brother would do that to him."

"Sounds like an imposter," Beckett said. "Had Angelina met him at all?"

"The supposed brother?" Lisa asked since the question had been directed at her. "No, if he was only going to the construction sites then she wouldn't be there. I asked if she ever visited his workplace and she said she'd go to his office and what he designed but only when it was finished."

"You never saw him?" Castle asked Scott.

"Afraid not, sorry," Scott replied.

"Alright, thank you for your time," Beckett said, standing up.

"I hope you catch him, whoever he is," Lisa said as she and her husband followed Castle and Beckett to the door.

Nodding at that, Castle left with his wife and said, "Close."

"I know, if he was here…" Beckett sighed. "I feel like taking a chance though and asking the concierge to search the name."

"It's not a name you hear every day, but he could have an alias," Castle said with a nod. "Still, wouldn't hurt to attempt it. And after?" he asked as they got into the elevator.

"We talk to the bellmen," Beckett said. "Since the concierge will be able to get them for us." She looked at her watch then and frowned, seeing they'd have to hurry the two interviews with it being close to dinner. "I'm really disturbed by this though."

"Yeah, you want to talk to him too?" Castle asked.

"I would, but let's wait until after the bellmen," Beckett told him as they stepped out into the lobby.

"Ms. Beckett, Mr. Castle," the concierge said with a smile. "Anything I can assist you with?"

"Yes, I'm wondering if there's a guest named Jackson Dennis here at the resort?" Beckett asked.

"Of course," the woman said, searching on her computer. "I'm afraid we don't have anyone under that name. Only Jordan Dennis of course."

"Then we need to speak to Simon Perkins and Rusty Cameron," Beckett then said, relieved Morrissey had talked to the concierges about their investigation. And she knew they were lucky none of them were six-two as well.

"Yes of course, they're back here," the concierge said, pointing to the door behind her. "At an employee common room we have since the staff quarters are there. I can page them to meet you there."

"Thank you," Beckett said, hearing Castle murmur the same. "Actually," she said before they went around the desk. "Could you call Mr. Perkins first?"

When the woman nodded to that, Castle followed his wife through the door and they could immediately see the room the concierge had been talking about right in front of them. "I hope there's a side room or something," he murmured.

"It's empty," Beckett said when they stepped into the doorway. "We-"

"Can I help you?" Simon Perkins asked as he came into the room from a doorway on the far end. "Are you leaving?"

"No, my name is Kate Beckett and this is my husband Richard Castle-" Beckett started to say.

"The writers, yeah, I heard you were here," Perkins said, looking a little confused. "What can I do for you?"

"Sit, please," Beckett told him.

"We're wondering what you were doing last night, about 4 in the morning," Castle said as soon as they were sitting.

"Sleeping until the concierge came over the intercom about there being a fire," Perkins replied. "I ran out to help and that's when I saw it. Are you interrogating me?"

"Mr. Morrissey has asked us to talk to some of the staff," Beckett said, using the cover she and Castle had agreed on. "He wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything suspicious going on with what happened this morning."

"And since we pretty much talk to people for a living… it seemed the obvious choice," Castle said.

"Oh, uh, well, I went back to my room at about eleven after playing some pool here with a couple friends of mine," Perkins said. "And stayed until the announcement. There are security cameras here and in the halls where our rooms are; if you want to prove that at all."

"We will," Beckett said, making a note of the time on the notepad from their cabin. "Has anyone else on the staff been acting strangely lately?"

When the man shook his head after thinking for a moment, Castle then said, "Do you know the guests by name? Are you told them at all?"

"Oh of course," Perkins said.

"Everyone?" Beckett asked, knowing what her husband was thinking.

"You mean besides the bellmen?" Perkins asked instead of replying. When both Castle and Beckett nodded he said, "Yeah, we're given a list of names before you guests arrive and we're told to call people by their names if we can remember them; instead of just sir or ma'am."

"Does that include the janitor, or the cooks?" Castle asked, remembering two of their suspects then.

"Yeah, everyone gets a list, just in case," Perkins said. "Morrissey believes in making things a little more personal that way, so it's not stiff and formal."

"Good idea," Beckett said absently. "And out of curiosity did you know Mr. Dennis and Ms. Lake at all, besides here at the resort," she asked, though she knew the man wouldn't admit to that if he was the killer.

"Nah, never seen them before," Perkin replied quickly.

"Alright, I think that's all we have to ask. But I'm wondering if you can get Mr. Cameron for us?" Beckett then asked, not getting the feeling that he was the killer by his subtle relaxing of his body. Looking at her husband, she saw he too thought the same; getting confirmation of that in the way he shook his head almost imperceptibly at her.

"Him too?" Perkins asked. When the two just looked at him he said quickly, "Yeah, not a problem."

Watching him go, Beckett and Castle said at the same time, "We need to find if there's a blind spot in the security cameras."

"Yeah, you're thinking the same thing?" Castle said.

"There's an area that's not being recorded, there has to be," Beckett said. "Unless…"

"Underground tunnels?" Castle asked her. When she nodded he asked with a smile, "You were thinking of the Stanley Hotel episode of _Ghost Adventures_ weren't you?" When his wife just gave him a look he said, "It's good for something at least."

"Hmm," Beckett said. "We'll see though if there are any here. Mr. Cameron?" she said, standing with Castle as the man walked in.

"Yeah, Simon said you wanted to see me?" the man asked in a soft spoken tone.

"We did, Mr. Morrissey's asking us to make sure that nothing untoward was going on at suite 840 last night," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when Beckett glanced at him at that, and he quickly said, "We just need to ask a couple questions."

"Yeah, Perkins said that you would, he didn't mention you were interrogating us," Cameron said as he sat where the other bellman had been.

"Well, it's not really an interrogation, I just want to make sure nothing happened this morning besides the couple smoking in bed," Beckett said.

"I don't think they were smokers," Cameron said doubtfully.

"Could you tell us where you were this morning, at four?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, asleep," Cameron said. "I went to my room at nine with a cup of tea and a book… your last book actually," he said in slight embarrassment to both Castle and Beckett. "And went to sleep at… eleven."

"And have you noticed anyone acting odd on the staff lately?" Castle asked.

"Not really, we've been busy getting everything ready to go for the guests," Cameron said. "Though… Mr. Hill has been a little higher strung than usual," he commented. "But… to tell you the truth, he's usually like that at the start of the season."

"Have you seen him since the fire?" Beckett asked.

"Not really, since no one's leaving, most of us are on break a lot, just waiting to deliver things or take stuff… things like that," Cameron said.

"Were you woken up by the announcement about the fire this morning?" Beckett said.

"Of course," Cameron said quickly. "I was sound asleep, dreaming about this hot…" he started to say before trailing off. "Well, dreaming, and I got woken up by the announcement, I went up but I was one of the last to go so pretty soon I was sent back down. Then I had to go back up to help a couple with their things."

"Did you know the two at all?" Castle then said. "Mr. Dennis and Ms. Lake?"

"Not outside of the resort, I'm from Vancouver so… no," Cameron replied.

"How do you know they weren't from Vancouver as well?" Beckett asked suspiciously.

Blanching at that, Cameron told her quickly, "A lot of people here are talking about them; another bellman mentioned they were from Toronto."

"His name?" Beckett asked.

Blanching again, Cameron told her, "Pierce Christian."

"Is he here?" Beckett said as they were pretty much finished talking with him, and she didn't think he was the killer either; though they still had to check on the two men they'd just spoken with.

"Yeah, you want me to get him?" Cameron asked. When Beckett nodded, he hurried out, closing the door behind him and hoping that he hadn't gotten his friend into trouble.

"What do you think?" Castle asked.

"Not sure, it depends if we can find out if it's possible to get into the hotel from here without getting caught on the security cameras. Mr. Christian?" Beckett asked the man stepping out.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking slightly concerned. "Rusty said you wanted to talk to me."

"Are you from Toronto?" Castle asked.

"Grew up there and when I'm not here it's where I live," Christian said calmly.

"Did you know Mr. Dennis and Ms. Lake who were in suite 840?" Beckett said.

"I knew Mr. Dennis," Christian admitted. "I used to work for him before I started working at the docks, working with freight during the summer."

"When did you stop working for him?" Beckett asked, sharing a look with her husband at that news.

"In April of this year," Christian replied.

"Do you know if he had a brother or anything?" Castle asked.

"Oh, that guy that came down to the site," Christian said, shaking his head. "He was pretty messed up, he looked like a bum and said he was Dennis' brother, but I didn't see much resemblance though I was kind of far away. I guess Dennis didn't either, because he threatened to call the cops if the guy didn't leave."

"Have you seen this man here at the resort?" Beckett asked. When he thought for a moment and then shook his head she said, "What about these men?" showing him the picture of the other three suspects; not including Hill. "Do any of these men look like the man you saw?"

"I can't really say, the guy was homeless and bearded, long hair," Christian said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"What about if you heard him talk?" Castle suggested, not surprised when Beckett and the bellman looked at him.

"I don't think so, I never heard how he speaks because I was a couple floors up the first time, second time I was a distance away," Christian told them. "I just saw them and heard yelling."

"Thank you," Beckett said before the man left them.

"Are we going to talk to the others?" Castle asked as they left to go back out into the lobby then.

"I'd like to talk to Hill," Beckett began.

"Not sure how to are you?" Castle asked.

"The problem is he's a fairly weak suspect," Beckett replied. "I'd say we have more luck with this supposed brother."

"But you think he could manage to get out here in time to kill them and then leave in the middle of a storm if he's homeless?" Castle suggested. "It's got to be someone here and I wonder if this was their first visit here."

"There's one way to find out," Beckett told him with a slight smile. She led the way out into the lobby behind the desk and going to the concierge she tapped the woman on the shoulder. "I'm wondering if you have records of guests and how many times they've been here," she told her.

"Oh, of course," the concierge replied. "Mr. Dennis and Ms. Lake?" she asked. When Castle and Beckett nodded, she said, "This was their second time here. They last came in June, right before we closed for the season."

"Thank you," Beckett replied before she and Castle left. Without a word to one another they were heading over to the computer room again, and there she sat next to her husband as he was typing on the same computer they'd been on before.

"I don't know if we'll have much luck here," Castle said as he got to an archive of pictures that the resort had on its website for June. "Even if we find them, I don't think we'd see their killer in the background holding up a lighter." He paused and then asked his wife, "It was a lighter right?"

"It was," Beckett replied. She watched him then stop on a picture of the vics, dancing in the ballroom and she sighed saying, "It must have been to celebrate the engagement," tapping the screen and the engagement ring there.

"Yeah," Castle said, feeling sorry for the couple who were so obviously in love. He found them in one more picture, before he closed the site and said, "Okay, so I was thinking before we go talk to anyone else-"

"See about the security cameras," Beckett finished for him. When he nodded she stood and led the way back to the security office, hoping that Hagan wasn't going to be there. It was with slight relief that she was face to face with Fraser as he opened the door, and she said, "We need to give this back," handing him the walkie-talkie.

"Also we have some questions," Castle said from behind her, not surprised when the man's eyebrows raised in reaction to that before he let them inside the room.

"Alright, ask away," Fraser said after closing the door behind them.

"We need to check on the rooms where Simon Perkins and Rusty Cameron are staying from eleven to four," Beckett said first. "And second, are the grounds covered by cameras?"

"To a degree," Fraser said, hesitating slightly before he answered.

Sharing a look with Beckett, Castle turned back to the man and said, "Meaning what exactly?"

"Well, the south side of the staff quarters, the outside, it's not covered by cameras," Fraser said. When Beckett and Castle looked dismayed, he said, "There's never been a reason, we're alone out here, closed during the height of summer too. Plus there's not much reason to steal from our rooms; I stay there too. We don't have a lot of stuff. And the windows are pretty high up."

"Okay, then I'd appreciate looking at the footage," Beckett said with a slight sigh.

"Yeah, of course," Fraser said before pulling up something on a computer and looking at the screen directly in front of him. "Okay, Cameron and Perkins are in the same hall…" he said as he soon found Cameron. "It's about eleven ten," he said.

"Close enough," Beckett said with a nod, though it didn't really matter unless the man was leaving the room from his door for the hotel.

A few minutes later Perkins was going into his room and there Fraser fast forwarded until he was at the point where the two men were running out of their rooms at the time of the announcement. "Is there anyone else you want to try and find?" the man asked.

"These names," Beckett said, showing him the list they had.

"Hill? I'll go to him first, since his room is the furthest back," Perkins said. He brought up the footage from about eight until the fire and they all watched him go into his room at one before leaving at three. "Here's Mr. Fox," he then said, showing them the janitor going to his room at ten with another employee, talking before the two went into their rooms next door to each other. At the time of the announcement the man was opening his door, staring blearily out at the others running down the halls.

"McCafferey?" Castle asked, seeing their case getting more and more difficult with each clip of footage they watched.

"He'll be later; he had to make dinner…" Fraser said. But he soon had the man walking down the hall, going straight into his room before closing the door, then coming out and running with the others at four thirty. "And last is Lyon…" he told them as he brought up the footage from a second hallway.

"How many halls are there?" Beckett asked as the man was putting with two other people in the hall.

"Just the two, but there are a lot of rooms so they're pretty long," Fraser said. He went to four thirty after Lyon went into his room; the man not coming out until the announcement either.

"Alright, thank you for your time," Beckett said. "And for the clips, we appreciate it… I'm wondering though if you were to go outside how could you get back into the main part of the building to get to the rooms?"

Fraser was quiet, moving his finger through the air as Castle and Beckett watched him and then said, "Sorry, trying to think of how to do that in my mind. I think your best bet would be to head down into the old root cellar."

"The hotel has a root cellar?" Castle asked in surprise.

"Yeah this property used to have an old, very large manor on it so the root cellar's substantial. Morrissey kept it… for some reason, I can't be sure," Fraser told them. "So you'd go there and you have stairs leading up to the staircase but we never put cameras in there, never was any need to."

"Morrissey decided not to put cameras there?" Beckett asked.

"People rarely take them, only the employees; since there are five elevators; that's Morrissey's favorite part, in case one breaks down he's got four more," Fraser said. "And again, there's never been a reason to put cameras on the staircase; we don't really do much here dealing with security. So it's likely the killer came up that way."

"The entrance to the root cellar's right next to the south side of the staff quarters isn't it?" Castle asked.

When Fraser nodded in confirmation, Beckett then said, "Do both halls have a south side to them?"

"Yeah, they're like this, with just the last room of the first hall overlapping the first room of the second one," Fraser said, drawing two Ls on a piece of paper for them to see. "That first room is a closet now, a pretty big one."

"Alright, thanks for your help, if we have any questions we'll be sure to be in contact," Beckett said before Fraser nodded. When they left the room she said, "So we don't have any way to prove that any of these men are the killer, or really even prove alibis that we get."

"We can cross off Fox though," Castle reminded her.

"I know, he's in a north facing room," Beckett said with a nod. "Okay, let's go talk to Morrissey and see if he doesn't want to wait for the actual police, because we are up against the wall now."

"And we need to get ready for dinner," Castle pointed out as they started to walk to the owner's office together. When his wife glanced at him he took her hand in his as they had to cross the lobby and squeezed it carefully before they disappeared through yet another employees only door.

* * *

"I kind of wonder," Beckett said, looking over her shoulder at her husband as he was zipping up her dress for her. "If these dinners are mandatory though they don't officially say it."

"I think they are in Hill's head, the nutcase," Castle said, shaking his head. "You know I almost thought you were naked under this until I saw the slip."

"I almost thought I'd be when I saw it on the hanger," Beckett said. "But I'm not about to do that unless I know the two of us will be completely alone. Remember?"

"Many fond memories," Castle said, looking at their reflections in the door of the closet in the corner of the room. "So," he began.

"Are you ready?" Beckett asked, turning around in her sleeveless sheer lace black dress. She shook her head though she was smiling as he stared at her body underneath the sheer material; though she had a tight, black under dress with it so she wasn't in fact naked. "Hey, wake up," she told him, patting at his cheek. "Since we're just waiting for the police at this point, we should get back to the vacation."

"True," Castle said slight frustration. "Alright, your shoes?" he asked as he was about to take her to the stairs when he noticed that her feet were bare.

"Downstairs, come on," Beckett said, taking his hand. She couldn't help recall their conversation with Morrissey and how the owner had finally given up, saying she and Castle had done the best they could but since they didn't have the same tools the police had at their disposal or the same authority it would probably be better to wait for them to make it out to the resort. Luckily that seemed likely to happen soon as he'd gotten in touch with the police in Michipicoten and they were going to try and get some snowmobiles together to head out to the resort the next day unless there was another storm. So she and Castle had handed over the evidence they'd gotten so far; knowing the owner wasn't a suspect as Fraser had sent Castle an e-mail of security footage of the cottage accessible by a covered walkway; where the owner lived when he was there for the opening and closing of the season. All through the time of the murders happening and the fires being set, they'd been able to see Morrissey inside with his wife until the alarm went off inside the hotel and the man had gone running down the walkway. Also he was too short to be the killer, standing at five eleven.

"Okay?" Castle asked as he watched her put on her heels.

"Yeah, just thinking about this case," Beckett said. "Feeling a little…"

"Deflated at having to give it up?" Castle suggested when she didn't continue.

"A little, but it was never really our case," Beckett said. "At least I keep telling myself that. I just hope the police can make it out here before the killer gets away," she then added as she let him take over tying the ribbons above her ankles.

"Unless they want to freeze to death… I doubt they'll leave," Castle said, letting his hand cup the back of her leg at her ankle before he held it up. He was lightly moving it up and down in both directions and doing that for so long that he eventually felt his wife's hand on his shoulder. "Sorry," he said quickly before he tied the ribbons around before he stood at the same time that she did. He was going to move to take her into his arms when his phone suddenly made a noise, letting him know he had a text. Looking down at it he saw that his mother had sent him a video clip and read to his wife, " _Watch this before you call us_."

Beckett leaned over then as Castle started the clip and smiled when she saw that Martha had filmed the girls in the downstairs hallway, pretending to Tango. She laughed softly as they went toward the phone cheek to cheek; since Julia was bent over; before they turned and walked back the other way, seeing Julia kicking her legs. "I guess they had a preview of the Tango in her class today. Call them now," she said quickly.

"Already am," Castle said, a smile on his face as well from the video. "Mother? Yes, we did, I'm getting it ready now," he told her when she answered on the other end. They went over to the couch in front of the fireplace then, and he got Skype on his tablet started before their daughters appeared on the screen. "Hey my little dancers," he said as they were waving at him.

"You saw us?" Julia asked, a wide smile on her face at that as her little sister giggled shyly next to her.

"Of course," Beckett said. "And you both did a great job with your first Tango."

"You and Daddy dance too," Eliza said then.

"We'll see," Beckett said, not really that surprised she'd said that. "How are you now your sister's home sweetie?"

"Happy," Eliza said simply. "But miss you and Daddy."

"We still miss you," Castle assured her. "So what did you do today after we talked to you?"

"I should take over I think," Martha said with a smile as Eliza looked back at her where she was sitting on the coffee table again. "After she finally ate and we had our lunch we went to watch Julia at dance class where they learned a little of the Tango as you saw. And here at home while Julia was doing her homework, Eliza and I made a little Thanksgiving art for you."

"Gram put…," Eliza said, starting to hesitate. "On…"

"Fridge," Julia told her little sister, smiling when she nodded to that. "And then we walked around the block-"

"Well bundled up, it was slightly milder today," Martha assured her son and daughter in law.

"And then we came in and I played dress up with Eliza until now," Julia said.

"I was from I'land," the little girl said, not able to say Ireland fully yet.

"Sounds like you've had a great day," Castle commented.

"He's right it does," Beckett said.

"What about you and Daddy?" Julia asked. "What'd you do?"

"Yeah, what?" Eliza asked eagerly.

"Okay, so first after we had breakfast we headed out to a hill near where we're staying, and we went snurfing," Beckett started.

"It's snowboarding, you know how your mommy does that," Castle said quickly when their daughters looked at them in confusion. "Except this board was smaller and it has a rope in the front to help you steer."

"It's what some of the first snowboards were like," Beckett said.

"And how did you do Richard?" Martha asked, since she knew her son didn't snowboard.

"First time I got further than I thought I would," Castle replied. "The second time though I completely wiped out."

"Are you okay?" Julia asked, since she'd been snowboarding with her mother before and had wiped out herself.

"I'm fine, just a little embarrassed," Castle said.

"And after that we spent some time in the library," Beckett finished, since they didn't want to explain about that investigation. "Now we're ready to head out to dinner."

"We're gonna eat now," Julia said quickly.

"I'm hungry," Eliza piped up.

"Okay, then I guess we should let you go," Castle said. "And since you'll be going to bed after dinner, goodnight Julia, Eliza, I love you both."

"Love you Daddy!" Eliza cried.

"I love you too Daddy," Julia then said, waving to him.

"Sleep tight tonight you two," Beckett then said to them. "And I love you Eliza, Julia."

"I love you Mommy," Julia said, smiling as her mother blew her and her sister a kiss.

"Me too, love you Mommy!" Eliza cried, pursing her lips and making kissing sounds.

"Bye Martha," Beckett said to her mother in law in the background.

"Goodbye Kate, Richard, take care up there as I've said before," his mother replied.

"We will, see you tomorrow," Castle said before he turned off the connection. "Okay," he said. "Should we go or stay in by ourselves?"

"Hill would send someone out here to see what we're doing I'm sure," Beckett replied with a sigh, standing up. She followed her husband over to the closet where they got their coats on, and she took his scarf as he was buttoning his black coat.

"I kind of need that love," Castle said, turning to her and seeing where his plaid scarf was. "Warmest one I have."

"You'll have to thank the girls when we go home," Beckett said, putting it around his neck. She pulled him close to her and whispered, "For now though…"

Leaning in the rest of the way, Castle took her lips with his and he groaned slightly as she pressed close against him, holding onto his neck. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, pressing his tongue against her lips which she soon parted for him. As soon as she had, he was curling his tongue around hers enough so they had to fight a little before they finally pulled away, their lips feeling the pressure of that kiss. "Another appetizer," he joked.

"If you don't deliver on that…" Beckett said in a mock stern tone of voice.

"Don't worry; I'd be teasing myself mercilessly if I did that, so you and I will have the main… course. Remind me never to say that again," Castle said, making a face at how that sounded; his wife doing the same. He leaned down then and shared a kiss with her, just brushing their lips together, and watched as she took her lipstick she'd slipped into the pocket of her coat at some point. "I wondered why you weren't wearing that. And this set?" he asked, touching the aquamarine of her earring, since she was wearing her pendant and the two pieces he'd given her their second Valentine's Day.

"I didn't want to be too ostentatious," Beckett replied simply. "But I could change when we come back."

"Then it might be," Castle said. He was going to continue when his wife beat him to it, speaking first.

"Because I'm not going to be wearing anything?" Beckett said wryly. "You're a pervert, let's go."

Castle wrapped his arm around his wife as he knew she was joking, and they walked through the chill evening air before reaching the hotel, not speaking. When they got to the front desk they left their coats before going to the ballroom hand in hand. He was a little surprised when she wrapped her arm around his and looked over at her before he murmured, "Okay?"

"This dress wasn't the best to walk through the freezing night," Beckett replied shivering slightly still. She wasn't taken aback when he wrapped his arm around her, his hand on her back again before they reached the ballroom. "Still looking undisturbed," she commented when she spotted Hill.

"Frantic though," Castle said. "But I'm guessing he's still trying to make everything run smoothly."

Beckett nodded, turning her attention from the man as she realized they were having a hard time letting go of their investigation still; though they hadn't found anything substantial to incriminate Hill. She went with her husband to their table and she glanced at him when she saw the name cards were back.

"Looks like Hill had a momentary lapse this morning," William said.

"Hi again," Chelsea said with a smile as Castle and Beckett turned to them. "Feels like we haven't seen you for a while."

"Well, a full day," Castle commented as he was helping Beckett into her chair. "How was your day? We didn't see you snurfing."

"We took advantage of the baths, and then we headed out to the golf course," Chelsea said; being helped into her seat by her husband. "That was a lot of fun; we went through it twice so it was technically a full course."

"We should have done that love," Castle told his wife jokingly.

"Please," Beckett replied, rolling her eyes as he and the Maxtones laughed at that. But she then shared a serious look with her husband, knowing he was thinking about them interviewing Bruce Lyon at the miniature golf course, though by then they'd agreed to give up on the case. They had just wanted to ask if he'd noticed anyone acting strange among the staff but when he couldn't say he had it had led to them finally giving up and agreeing to leave everything for the police to investigate. "Were you keeping score?" she asked the couple then to bring her mind back to the present.

"The first time yes," Chelsea said, looking wryly at her husband.

"The second time I decided we should just have fun," William said, frowning at his wife.

"I did, because you usually golf better than that and I could see you getting madder and madder," Chelsea said simply. "He's joking," she then directed to Castle and Beckett who were watching them. "What were you two doing?"

"We took a little tour of the ground floor," Castle said, glancing at his wife, seeing her smile at him briefly. Before anyone could say anything else, the waiters came over and took their orders and he waited until they were gone before he turned to Beckett as the Maxtones were talking to each other. "What do you feel like doing tomorrow?" he asked her.

Taking a moment to think; though she didn't really; Beckett said, " _We should catch up on sleep love_."

Seeing immediately that she didn't mean sleep in that way, Castle replied with, " _I think you're absolutely right. Especially with the way last night was_."

Beckett bit her lower lip at that and his tone though he was keeping his voice low, before saying, "But we should do something else too, later before dinner or… whenever."

"Whenever is good," Castle said, holding his wife's hand. "Golf?"

"That's what I was thinking," Beckett said, looking down at their fingers entwined.

Letting go of each other as their food had arrived, Castle and Beckett returned to talking to the Maxtones while they ate. They somehow got into a discussion about their daughters, and that led to them speaking about trips they'd taken.

"We want to go to India, badly," Castle was saying when Chelsea told them they'd gone to the country. "My daughter does especially."

"You're going to take your daughters?" William asked.

"Not for a while," Beckett replied. "We're waiting until Eliza's at least four or so. Plus there are other countries we want to see before that."

"Like where," Chelsea asked.

"We have Spain coming up, at some point," Castle said, looking at Beckett. "And we're definitely going to take our family to Ireland."

"I never considered that to be a honeymoon spot," Chelsea said. "But that might be because I'm thinking of more tropical places like William and I went to."

"Most likely," William said.

"We might need to go there," Chelsea said to him. "Any place in particular we should check out if we did go?"

"Well, Dublin for starters," Castle said as Beckett didn't reply and he knew she wanted him to reply to that question. "That's at the top of the list of course. But after that we just drove down the western coast and spent some time along the southern part of the country. You should get a travel book and see what looks good for you."

"Good advice, we'll have to do that once we get back home," William said to his wife.

"I would ask you about India, but I get the feeling we'd get the same answer," Beckett said with a smile.

"You would," Chelsea replied with a smile. "But your daughters, if they're interested in India already-"

"They are," Castle and Beckett said at the same time.

Sharing a smile with his wife, William said, "Then they'll enjoy the trip; which I would assume as parents is what you want."

"And to get some education," Castle said, looking over at his wife momentarily and seeing her gaze was directed at Chelsea. "Even if just a little," he ended slowly.

"If you should know, the temples are amazing," William said, squeezing his wife's hand.

"He's right," Chelsea replied, brightening up suddenly. "Oh, there is a temple where you need to watch where your daughters go because-"

"Sexual images?" Beckett interrupted. When the woman nodded she smiled and said, "We've had a travel book about India for a long time now and we saw that one."

"Then be careful," William said. "But those are some interesting carvings."

"They are," Castle said seriously, laughing slightly when his wife socked his arm lightly. "I think now though," he said as the tables were finished being cleared and music began to play. "That we should get some exercise Kate."

"You're right," Beckett replied, smiling as he stood and held his hand out to her. "If we don't see you before then, goodnight."

"Night," Chelsea said, remaining at the table with her husband as they watched the two go out on the dance floor.

"What's wrong with her?" Castle murmured to Beckett as they held onto each other and were swaying together.

"I think they're having trouble having a child, or can't," she replied, frowning a little at that.

"Should tell them about Rebecca and David," Castle said, pulling back a little. He was relieved when she smiled slightly, knowing she was recalling at the end of June when their friends had taken them out sailing for dinner one day to announce that they were finally expecting their second child in the middle of February. "You'll be a great aunt you know."

Smiling wider at that, Beckett said, "I already am; to Tommy remember?"

"I know, but he's also our godson," Castle said. "And we'll see this baby a lot."

"True," Beckett said. She leaned against him then and said, "I just hope those two can have the chance we got. I can tell Chelsea wants to be a mother."

"I could too when I noticed eventually that her tone of voice was getting more and more depressed as we were talking about Julia and Eliza," Castle said. When she nodded he told her, "Should you talk to her?"

"There's nothing really I could say and it would be kind of annoying for a mother of two to talk to someone trying to have children," Beckett said. "I managed to and she didn't… She's better off with her husband being her support."

"Good point," Castle said when the song ended. "What about you?"

"Me what?" Beckett asked as they stopped swaying but didn't move as they didn't want to be asked to dance by anyone else. She glanced up at her husband then and she smiled slowly as she realized he wanted to know if he was her support saying, "I'm not sure, I think you might be."

"I would hope so, otherwise I need to work on that," Castle said in mock anxiety. He smiled when his wife laughed and hugged him tighter around the neck before she kissed his cheek. He made her turn to him, kissing her lightly on the lips since they were by then surrounded by other couples.

Though it was a simple kiss, Beckett still felt the same rush within her and she leaned against him again as they swayed back and forth together. " _I love you_ Rick," she murmured into his ear since by then her cheek was pressed to his.

" _I love you too_ Kate," Castle told her as they continued to sway before he finally gave in and he turned to her, kissing her far deeper than they had before as they held on tightly to one another.

* * *

"Hey, I was hoping we wouldn't have the name cards so we could sit with you and talk to you again," Lisa Winsor said as she came over to Castle and Beckett who were in front of the dessert table.

"Me too, but I suppose breakfast will be informal," Beckett replied, smiling at the woman. She guessed then when the woman was going to talk again that she wanted to ask about the investigation, so she held up her hand to get her to stop before she said, "Hold that thought okay?"

"Sure," Lisa said, glancing at her husband who was next to her. They followed Castle and Beckett into the conservatory after they had gotten drinks from the bar and she said, "I forgot for a second you were keeping it quiet."

"Well, not anymore really," Castle said. At the pair of perplexed looks on the couple's faces he continued telling them, "We're stopping as we weren't able to get much in the way of evidence, so we're leaving things for the police."

"When will they be here?" Scott asked.

"They're going to try and head down here tomorrow," Beckett said. "And with it still being cold, the killer would end up dead if he tried to escape right now."

"You didn't hear about the storm?" Scott then said.

"What storm?" Castle asked, looking at his wife.

"There's a storm headed this way," Scott replied.

"Not tonight?" Castle said, sounding slightly panicked.

Looking at her husband at his tone, Beckett could see him breathing out in relief when Scott told them it was going to arrive in the morning. She had to wonder what he had up his sleeve; since it was obviously something; and hoped it didn't involve going outside since she could already imagine the cold walk going back to the cabin. Shaking her thoughts of that, she said goodbye to the Winsors as they headed back into the ballroom, and she and Castle walked down the path they were on until they reached the back of the room. "So, plans tonight?" she asked him.

"Of course, spending time with my wife," Castle said simply, putting his arm around her.

"And doing what?" Beckett continued.

"Oh, I can't say here, what if someone hears me? They'll accuse me of being vulgar," Castle said.

"Pervert," Beckett said, smiling though as she sat down.

"And you realize that you're a vixen right?" Castle asked, watching her legs as they crossed under her skirt.

"You should look up at me Rick, I might get the wrong idea if you say that looking down," Beckett teased him. When his head shot up to hers she said, "Sit okay?"

"Right, so, dessert? We never finished them last night," Castle commented as he watched her take some maple sugar shaped into a leaf. "And I'm wondering."

"Should I be worried about that?" Beckett asked, watching him as she nibbled a little at the sugar.

"No, just thinking about getting another plate and taking it to the cabin," Castle said simply.

"No," Beckett said simply, looking at what they had on the plate. "Nothing extra tonight, if those are your plans."

"Just us?" Castle asked her with a smile on his face.

"Just us," Beckett said before she leaned into him so they could exchange a kiss. When they parted they didn't move very far from each other, so she was able to purse her lips together so they kissed again. That time they moved apart from each other all the way as they heard someone was coming up to him, making her dread it was the Golds. But when they saw a couple they didn't know she nodded to them and breathed out when they'd left.

"I think they're leaving us alone," Castle said. "They seem to have gotten the idea we rejected them. Though I'm really hoping that now we've got the cabin they won't try to convince us."

"They're not going to be successful," Beckett said firmly and with some slight annoyance before she stood up. She finished the last of her wine before telling her husband, "We're going to dance."

"Of course," Castle said quickly before he hurried to follow her, finishing his wine on the way. Since they'd only had a few small desserts, he threw the plate away and let Beckett take his hand to lead him to the dance floor. The song playing at the moment had a heavier beat, so he held onto his wife with one arm as she swayed her hips against him. He tried to ignore the heat that rose from their bodies rubbing together but it was almost impossible to do before luckily the music stopped. "Not yet," he said to her as a slower dance started and he could whisper into her ear.

At that point Beckett definitely knew that her husband had something up his sleeve, but she didn't mind, she was more amused by the fact that he was holding back; something she knew he hated to do. "Come on," she finally said when the second slow song after the first ended. "I think we've put in a long enough appearance."

"As you say," Castle said while she was taking him by the hand off the dance floor. He grinned at her when she turned to him and then walked a little quicker so he was even with her and could wrap his arm around her waist. When they stepped outside the ballroom doors he froze immediately as they saw Hill was talking to three men from the kitchen at the entrance to the hall that led there.

"You cannot joke about this, it's a serious matter," the activities director was raging. "And if I get in trouble I lose my job and so do you three! Go back and help your co-workers clean up; I'll go to Morrissey if I need to."

Going to the front desk, Castle and Beckett got their things back while trying not to make eye contact with Hill as he stalked back to the ballroom. But when they didn't hear the sound of music from the ballroom door opening they glanced back and saw the man was going towards the kitchen after the men.

Taking his wife's hand Castle let her to the doors and peered in the window of one before he realized Hill was just beyond it. He had also seen the head chef; who the man was talking to; spot him and he ushered Beckett back to the lobby.

"Should have let me go first," she told him as she made him slow down to a walk.

Glancing back, Castle saw Hill coming out and then stalking over to the ballroom, breathing out in relief at the sound of the music before he turned to his wife.

"Think he's talking about the murder?" Beckett immediately said. "And those three men discovered something that incriminates him?"

"Yeah, the line about them losing their jobs too points to that," Castle said. He glanced over at the kitchens and said, "But we can't know for sure unless those men… We'll talk to them tomorrow if the storm is here; let them have a night's sleep so Hill's threat loses its potency."

Nodding as she knew that was probably the best course of action for them to do to be able to talk to the men, Beckett put on her coat and outer layers as Castle was doing and together they braced themselves for the cold as they headed back to their cabin. As they were walking both of them were trying yet again to put the investigation out of their minds; while the sharp wind tugged at their clothes and nearly made them breathless. But it was difficult since they felt they had a possible lead, even though they couldn't be entirely sure it was all that solid. So they continued pressing close to one another trying to remember how it had been dancing that night, recalling at the same time their morning together, and Castle's promise to Beckett as the path entered the woods.


	7. Underneath The Swirling Skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Painter Song written by Lee Alexander and JC Hopkins and sung by Norah Jones, from Norah Jones' album Come Away with Me

Coming up the stairs, Castle watched as his wife took her hair out of its bun and let it fall down her back. "Hey," he said to get her attention.

Turing around quickly, Beckett smiled saying, "You're a voyeur too it looks like."

"A little bit," Castle said, shrugging as he tried not to react to her dress wide open in the back. "Listen, I know you were probably going to change into something after getting out of this dress but could you put your warmest clothes on?"

"Why, are we going outside?" Beckett asked. When he nodded she frowned a little but then looked at the expression on his face. Seeing that he looked a little eager, she finally nodded saying, "Let me get dressed on my own though."

"Oh come on," Castle tried to cajole her. "I can't help?"

"If you do we'll never make it out there," Beckett told him simply.

Castle hesitated a little hearing that but finally he nodded saying, "Okay, but don't take too long."

"Go," Beckett replied, smiling at him. She watched him leave, making sure that he did, before she stepped out of her dress and quickly got into her warmest clothes as he'd suggested. That done she went down, seeing the couch first and remembering her and Castle sharing a glass of wine before she'd left him to change into her negligee she'd worn the night before. They exchanged a number of passionate kisses during that time, and it made her wonder what it was outside that had him wanting to go out into the freezing cold.

"Great," Castle said, seeing she had on a number of layers. "I swear it'll be worth it," he told her as they were putting on their outer layers. "Ready?" he then asked, turning to her.

"Yeah," Beckett said, taking his hand. They left then, and she was surprised when he went around the cabin, and then through the trees, opposite the hotel. "Where-" she began.

"You'll see," Castle said, looking to make sure that he had the shore of the lake in view at all times. Finally he thought they'd gone far enough, and he pulled his wife over to the beach before looking. "Look Kate," he said, pointing up to the sky.

Turning her head in that direction, Beckett's mouth dropped open behind her scarf as she saw the green ribbons of light above them, shifting and changing; dancing before the stars. "The… but aren't we a little far south for this?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I heard this was going to happen and they said at the same time this was very rare, that it hasn't happened for a long time," Castle replied, smiling behind his scarf as he was pleased with her reaction. "And I know this is on your bucket list, so I had to take the chance." He stepped a little closer as she turned her gaze back to the aura borealis and asked, "Like it?"

"Oh god Rick, it's amazing…" Beckett breathed out in joy, unable to take her eyes off the colors and lights.

Wrapping his arm around his wife, Castle held her close to him as he finally reminded himself to watch the show as long as he could; since he wasn't sure they'd be heading so far north they'd be able to see it again in the future. After a while; and he and Beckett only looked down to let their necks have a break; he glanced behind them before telling her, "Come here love," pulling her to a boulder that was sticking up out of the snow.

Though she didn't want to move, Beckett turned away to sit with him on the rock, looking back up at the sky. She smiled briefly when she could see Castle looking at her out of the corner of his eye and she leaned against him before turning her full attention on the lights.

Wrapping his arm around her, Castle pressed his lips to the top of her head, and they were quiet for a long time, until he pulled something from his pocket. "Here," he told her.

Glancing over at him, Beckett couldn't help smiling at the sight of her camera and she took it saying, "I'm not sure if I can take a picture of this."

"Try and see," Castle urged her, watching as she looked at her settings. He followed her to the lake; as close to the water as they could get and looked on as she was taking pictures. At the rapid click of the shutter, he knew she was taking rapid pictures, something she only tended to use when she was taking pictures of Julia dancing. When she lowered her arms he was quick to lean over, looking at the screen. "Not too bad," he said, able to see the green lights on it.

"I think that's the best I can do," Beckett said with a smile before she took pictures of the area around them. With those pictures she lowered her arms again, and then wrapped them around her husband, leaning against him. Though she was enjoying the show, she felt herself getting colder as the wind started to blow a little harder, and she tried to keep the warmth from leaving her body.

Castle was quick to notice that his wife was trying to press against him even more and he looked down at her saying, "Cold?"

"Slightly," Beckett replied, surprised her teeth weren't chattering.

"Then we should head inside," Castle told her. He wasn't surprised when she hesitated for a moment, but then finally nodded to him before he led them back to the cabin.

Beckett tried to look back at the sky as they went, but finally the branches of the trees proved to be too much of a cover and she turned forward. When they had stepped into the cabin she said, "I really wish we could have stayed out there longer… And that Julia and Eliza were with us."

"Me too," Castle said, nodding his agreement. He helped her with her coat and outer layers before he watched her go to the stairs.

" _Do not follow me love_ ," Beckett called to him, a wide smile on her face before she could disappear from his view.

Shuddering at her voice; and the fact that she'd used Irish; Castle took off the snow pants he'd worn over his trousers and then the vest and sweater he'd worn as well. Once he was down to his dress shirt and trousers, he went straight to the fire, turning it on before going to the wine cellar in the kitchen. "Love, would you like a drink?" he called as he could see her coming down the stairs.

"That would be nice," Beckett said as she went to the couch, sitting in front of the fire. She'd been very cold still, even in the cabin, and the warmth of the flames was soothing as she rubbed her hands together before she looked up as her husband approached her. "What are we celebrating?" she asked as she saw the champagne bottle in his hand; two flutes in the other.

"Well, not really celebrating," Castle said as he took off the foil from the top. "How about a toast?"

Waiting for him to pop the cork, Beckett smiled and said, "Sure, but what are we toasting to?"

"I'll let you decide," Castle told her as he poured out their drinks and then handed her a glass.

Waiting for him to sit down next to her, Beckett smiled and said, "Then why don't we toast to our night?" as she held up the flute.

"You know it's going to be great already from this point on?" Castle asked in amusement.

"I'm sure," Beckett told him before they tapped their glasses together. "And it looks like you are too," she said in amusement.

Castle didn't reply to that, instead he leaned over and cupped the back of her head, pulling her as close to him as he could before they kissed. He wasn't too surprised when she quickly moved away from him and then set her glass down on the table next to the couch, doing the same himself before he moved her onto her back, laying her down. Their lips easily found each other again and he was quick to slip his tongue into her mouth as she was quick to allow him to. They curled around each other before he drew her back into his mouth and they spent some time dueling a little there before they parted. "What is it?" he asked her when he saw she was biting her slightly swollen lower lip.

"I feel a little hot," Beckett said, her voice a near whisper.

"Here," Castle said abruptly before he got up, standing with her and untying her robe she'd put on. When he had tossed it onto the couch he pulled her into his arms, feeling the silk of her negligee under his palms as he leaned down to kiss her. As before it was passionate and he felt her arching against him slightly before they were tilting their heads back and forth, playfully fighting against each other yet again.

When they parted to breathe, Beckett kept her lips close to her husband's; brushing against them a few times before she smiled. "I think I had pretty good reason for that toast," she told him teasingly.

"I know, but hold on a second," Castle said quickly as he ran his hands down her sides. He rushed to the closet by the door, taking some blankets from the shelf inside and went back to the rug in front of the fire, shaking them out to lie down. "Okay-" he started to say, turning to his wife. When she seemed to suddenly attack him, kissing his lips roughly, he groaned but then recovered, wrapping his arms around her tightly and clutching at her.

Their kisses a touch frantic, Beckett was a little surprised she was able to reach in between their bodies, unbuttoning his dress shirt and tugging it out from his trousers. "Wait," she said, laughing softly as she'd moved away enough to try to get the shirt off. He wasn't letting her do it though and she finally had to push him away just enough for her to start pulling the fabric down off of his shoulders. "You don't want to start?" she teased him.

A thrill going through him at the smile she gave him, along with his wife looking at him out of the corner of her eye, Castle took a moment to reply saying, "I do, but hard to resist you Kate."

"I can tell," Beckett said once she'd gotten the shirt off of him finally. She had gone down to his pants and could feel his arousal there in front of her. Looking up at him she nodded him down to her with her head and when their lips met she cupped his cheeks with her hands. That kiss was slower, more leisurely and they were able to pull away carefully before she pressed her forehead against his. Together they got the rest of his clothes off and she was prepared to stop him from trying to get her negligee off. But when he instead made her lay down, she was a little startled for a moment, though when he pulled it up above her hips, she lost any protests she might have had.

Leaning down and brushing his lips to hers, Castle moved down to her neck, gently nuzzling against it before he went further. Though her breasts were covered by the negligee, he couldn't help flicking his tongue out against her nipple that was taut against the fabric. When he felt his wife's hands on the back of his head at the same time a moan slipped out of her lips he looked up at her, seeing she was biting on her lower lip. "More?" he asked her with a slight smirk.

Giving him a look, Beckett pushed him back until he was getting on his knees, nearly laughing as he seemed to regret his comment. But before he could get too concerned, she was pulling up on her lingerie, getting it off and throwing it with her robe on the couch. She leaned into Castle then and kissed him, slowly, sensuously for a few seconds before she pulled away whispering, "More?"

"Fuck love," he breathed as he was studying her body. Laying her down, Castle spread her legs before he paused, studying her.

"You've seen me before, many times," Beckett teased him. When he didn't reply she bit her lower lip again before she put her hand under his chin, making him look at her. Leaning over she kissed his lips, pecking them gently before he groaned briefly. She did that a second time, and a third, and she eventually smiled as he groaned both times as well. She looked at him intently, stroking his cheeks before she said, "What do you want right now?"

"A lot of things," Castle told her seriously. He then smiled as she looked surprised and continued with, "But you should know they all involve you."

"Everything?" Beckett said with a responding simile as her husband was laying her back down.

"Everything," Castle told her before he kissed her. He was laying directly on her and he felt her shift against him, knowing she could feel his erection, and he was suddenly nestled between her folds. What he'd been trying to do while they'd been kissing was to feel her arousal, but since he could do so that second he instead started to move against her, thrusting a little as she cried out into his mouth. He didn't stop though and she was shifting around even more, knowing she wanted to take him in her.

"Oh Rick, please," Beckett was begging. "I want you to fuck me, now!"

"Me too… I wanted it this morning…" Castle was saying, still moving against her.

"Then… start!" Beckett cried to him.

Not responding to that, Castle instead kissed her again and hard, plunging his tongue into her mouth before he felt her legs wrapping around his waist. It was that that made him move finally and he groaned as Beckett sighed out deeply as they were finally coupled together. "Love…" he breathed to her before she kissed him that time.

Beckett was relieved when Castle finally started to thrust, though she wasn't too surprised when he moved very slowly, deliberately. She had expected that, feeling a rush of pleasure go through her while she was quick to start moving with him. When he pulled away from their second heavy kiss, she raked her nails over the back of his head, opening her eyes to study him closely. She was a little startled when he grabbed at her right leg, placing her ankle on his shoulder, but went along with it, breathing out deeply when his next thrust in was deep and a little faster than she'd expected. It was at that point that he began to speed up and she reached up to hold onto his arm as tightly as possible, trying to brace herself the best she could as she followed him, their hips beginning to smack together.

With the fire burning next to them, their bodies undulating together more and more rapidly, Castle and Beckett were soon slightly glistening with sweat, but neither of them cared about that. They suddenly switched their positions and she was above him before he reached up, cupping her breasts carefully as she reached down to cover his hands. They kept in contact as much as they possibly could; besides their love making; and soon he was moving her around onto her back again, making her bend her knees to place her feet flat on the blanket under her before they were kissing hungrily.

When he had to breathe, Castle pulled away from his wife and he nuzzled her lips with his own before he murmured something to her. When Beckett nodded he smiled briefly and moved his head down, enough so he could take her right breast with his mouth. Instead of going straight to her nipple, he brushed his lips along the mound, being very careful and gentle as he felt her arching her back underneath him. He groaned as that made their thrusts a little haphazard, but didn't stop what he was doing, wanting to give her a little more. He went to her other breast, and did the same, before he suddenly felt a flash of pain as his wife clutched at the back of his head, dragging him to her nipple. Getting the message with that, he proceeded to suckle at her slowly, Beckett moving against him rapidly; jarring their rhythm yet again. There was nothing really wrong with it though, as he felt very concentrated pleasure where they were coupled together with her doing that, and he nearly pulled away before she was dragging him over to her other breast.

Running her hands over the back of her husband's head, Beckett was wrapping her right leg around his waist tightly, letting the heel of her foot hit him every time his hips slammed down into hers. By then they were outright fucking one another and it only made her body slicker with her sweat, and made her try to hold on to herself as he was changing the angle of his hips every time he moved into her. She was feeling a heat that trailed from her breasts; where his mouth was still at; and it joined the feeling of him taking her so roughly, until she had to wonder if there had ever been a point when she had been cold. Their time outside felt like it had been a lifetime ago and she let go of his head, writhing back and forth as she tried to still meet him in his thrusts. But it was difficult, and she suddenly had to let him know, moaning to him, "Rick… oh god… I can't… you feel too good inside of me."

"I know, you're… driving me insane love," Castle said, moving up to her lips then and kissing her as hard as he could. He could feel his lips swelling with the force, throbbing from the pressure, and he groaned against her as their tongues were literally fighting. It was then he suddenly realized how rough he was being exactly when his wife's nails abruptly dug into his shoulders. He pulled away hastily at the sensation and looking down at her intently he tried to slow himself down, to make things last far longer than they'd been so far. But it was too difficult and he told her seriously, " _I adore you love_."

A little startled by how somber he was, Beckett stroked the back of his neck and murmured to him, " _I love you, I love you_ …" aware she was chanting the words, but unable to really stop herself as she was trying to hold herself back one last time. But his sudden slamming motion right against her clit, and she was clawing at his back as her left leg reached up to snake around his back, holding onto him tightly as she cried out his name. Her climax felt intense, and she was a little lost to what was going on in that moment before she suddenly felt Castle tensing up. When her name left his lips, she clutched him against her, wanting them as close to each other as they could get while he was orgasming with her. She felt each and every one of his thrusts that time, never losing touch with herself as she still held him. Every time he came down against her it was a literal explosion of ecstasy so she felt a little lost when it stopped after they'd slowed down. Eventually their bodies forced them to stop moving and she brought his head up so their foreheads were pressed together, letting her kiss him tenderly.

Responding to that kiss eagerly, Castle wasn't sure how long it lasted before they had to breathe. He started to move to lie down next to her, but she stopped him and he propped himself up on his elbows so he could look down at her. "I think I'll have to concede a point," he told her as he couldn't stop himself from leaning down and brushing his lips against hers.

"Hmm, and what's that?" Beckett asked, shifting her entire body to his groan. She smiled at that, kissing him gently before saying, "I was right about tonight?" since she knew he wasn't going to answer quite yet. When he nodded she laughed softly and briefly before telling him, "We only just started you know."

Looking at her intently, Castle saw she was serious and he was quick to move, laying down next to her and bringing her against his side before she could react to that. Holding her to him he leaned down, kissing her keenly and feeling a rush when she immediately started to respond, her fingertips brushing against his jaw. When they absolutely had to breathe he whispered to her, "We have, let me…" And with her looking at him questioningly, he leaned down, taking her lips yet again with his own, feeling her soft moan at that and her letting him slip his tongue into her mouth before they began to slowly stroke each other in a perfect rhythm that was making him shudder inwardly in pleasure as they held on tightly to one another.

When they had pulled away to breathe, Beckett wasn't really surprised to find Castle climbing over her before laying behind her, sliding his right arm under her neck. She turned onto her side again as he pressed up close behind her, and she kissed him that time as his other hand covered her breast, squeezing the mound gently. They were kissing slowly, carefully so it wasn't that abrupt when they parted. She smiled slightly saying, "You know I didn't think you'd be serious about that."

"You realize it's very hard to resist," Castle commented as he could feel himself already starting to become aroused again. "And having to repress…"

"I remember," Beckett said, since it wasn't the first time him having to control his arousal led to longer nights than they usually had when they made love.

"Do you mind at all?" Castle asked her then, sounding a little concerned.

Smiling and turning back to him so he could see that, Beckett told him simply, "No." She then continued with, "Again, you realize that if I did, you'd know."

"Still, it's polite to ask," Castle said carefully as he'd started to caress her breast as he'd spoken. He felt her press back against him and he nuzzled her shoulder before he pressed a few kisses to it, going back to her lips. They kissed again, but he didn't let it last that long before he was reaching down to her abdomen.

Feeling her husband raising his head to watch himself, Beckett was quick to stop him saying, "Not yet."

Laying back down as he knew with that tone not to try and get her to change her mind, Castle said, "Then you want to talk more?"

Shaking her head though she was smiling, Beckett didn't reply and instead looked in front of them at the flames, the sight reminding her of the aurora borealis outside. "You know that was sweet of you to do," she suddenly said, breaking the silence of the room.

"Well, all I did was find out they were going on," Castle said. "But you're welcome for taking you out. Now, the item on your bucket list before that we should try out."

"You want to go diving in Hawaii?" Beckett asked him.

"Do you know how to dive already?" Castle asked instead of replying.

"I do, but I've never really done that anywhere tropical," Beckett told him. "Do you know?" She wasn't too surprised when he nodded and she then asked, "So you've done it there before."

"That would be a no," Castle said. When his wife looked at him in surprise he nodded seriously telling her, "I know, I have been diving in the Caribbean."

Smiling as she remembered when they'd been to Jamaica and Antigua; Beckett said, "I wasn't really feeling up to diving then."

"We went snorkeling, that was pretty fun," Castle told her. "And with Julia too."

"Hmm," Beckett said. She then suddenly turned over, and looking at him said, "What about your list?"

"You've seen it already," Castle said simply. "Why?"

"You can cross this off your list too," Beckett reminded him. "Unless you've seen it before."

"No, I didn't," Castle assured her. "So you're right, I can. But you know a little dark to be talking about our bucket lists."

"You're the one who brought it up," Beckett said, pushing him. "Then what do you want?" When his reply to that was to kiss her, she wasn't really all that surprised and moaned briefly into his mouth before they were holding onto each other tightly; a little difficult because of the fact they were on their sides, but they managed. She half expected him to lay her on her back to take her again; since she was as aroused as she could feel he was by then. But instead, he pulled away and got up, making her sit up quickly asking, "Finished?"

"I think you know the answer to that is no," Castle said, grabbing a third blanket he hadn't used to cover the rug. He threw it over the armchair next to the couch and helped his wife stand. "Do something for me?" he asked. He was a little startled when she stepped away from him and went to where her negligee was, a smile spreading across his face as he realized she already knew his request. He couldn't help it and he reached over, cupping her ass with one hand and squeezing it firmly before slapping it; careful not to be too rough in doing that.

"Castle!" Beckett said, giving him a look.

"What?" he asked.

"Sit down or else I'm not putting this back on," Beckett replied.

With the use of his name and the tone of her voice Castle immediately did as she asked, since she tended to use his last name for three reasons after they were married. First was usually when they were working a case with the Hamptons PD; since she was more comfortable doing that. Second was when she was teasing him, and third was for the reason she'd just used; as a warning. He sat down on the armchair, watching as she slipped the black silk over her head before turning to him. "I'm sorry," he said; since he felt he needed to apologize. "Hard to resist sometimes."

"I know, luckily you listen to me now," Beckett said, waiting from him to pull the ottoman that went with the chair up against it for him to drape his legs on it.

"Now," Castle scoffed. When he looked up at his wife as she stood next to the armchair he blanched and said, "Yeah, you have a point."

"Good," Beckett said simply before she got on top of him. "Now tell me something."

"Anything," Castle said, grabbing her hips as she straddled him, but didn't lower herself onto his erection.

"Why do you want me back in this?" Beckett asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It just covers me and you tend to like me naked."

"I do, but I just had the sudden urge to see you in it again," Castle told her. "I've asked you to do that before."

"True," Beckett said, suddenly sliding her hands down over his shoulders and to his chest. "And that brings me to another question; you never want me in anything skimpier than this?"

"Not… not… ugh, Kate," Castle told her, grabbing her hands as she had by then reached down to his member and was stroking at it. "Not really, like you said, I want you naked most of the time. But you know, there is something else I'd like to see you in," he said since she had posed the question to him a number of times already over the course of their marriage, but he'd never really answered.

"What?" Beckett asked, bracing herself for the type of lingerie she was going to need to buy.

"Can I watch you get dressed tomorrow?" Castle asked her. When she gave him a confused look he then said, "And before you put on your clothes will you stop and get on the bed?"

"Pervert," Beckett said, pushing his shoulder. Her cheeks were slightly flushed though, as she didn't really think it was possible that he liked her in just her bra and panties. But looking at him then she was a little started to realize he did. "Okay," she suddenly said. When her husband looked shocked she pointed at him and said, "But no tearing anything, alright?"

"Got it," Castle said, smiling then as he could tell his wife was aroused by the idea. He put his hands up high on her back, wanting to pull her down to him, but when she pushed him back he asked, "Are you mad?"

"For what reason?" Beckett asked, while her hand was carefully curling around his erection. She nearly smiled when he groaned in response to that and she didn't let him answer her question, taking him in both hands. She watched him closely as she stroked him, making sure she didn't go too far as she didn't want him getting off with that.

At the same time, Castle was holding onto her, pulling her closely to him though he couldn't bring her flush against his body for obvious reasons. Still, he couldn't complain as Beckett was meticulous in her attentions as she kept touching him. He tried to focus on the rhythm she was using, but it was hard as she kept changing it. She was still moving slowly, but the strokes of her hands were all different and he moved his hands to her sides, rubbing up and down against him in time with her. Each movement was a quick burst of electricity for him, making him swallow hard as he was trying to keep himself from moving too much against her. After a while he suddenly needed a distraction and he looked at her, realizing what his moving hands were doing.

Beckett was able to notice when Castle's hands stopped suddenly and when she glanced at herself she bit her lower lip when she saw that her negligee was high above the apex of her legs. His eyes were on it almost hungrily and she let go up him abruptly, not surprised at the sudden grunt he let out in response to that. Before he could protest she was leaning against him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and kissing him at the same time. She was relieved when he kissed her back; hungrily; and they were soon trying to outdo the other until she had to breathe and she moved away from him, stroking his cheek gently. "I think… now," she whispered to him, staring into his eyes.

Nodding, as he wasn't sure he was going to be able to speak, Castle helped her as she raised her body above his, holding tightly to her hips with one hand; the other was grasping himself. They both groaned at the same time when their bodies first met and they nearly continued to do that as they coupled together. But finally they were joined and he waited for her to move first, which she did very quickly after that. He breathed out hard as the sensation was a little intense for him; with her having already pleasured him beforehand. But he was lucky to find it not too much for him to handle. He held onto her tightly as he was thrusting the best he could with her, watching his wife as she pressed her hands to his chest for some more leverage.

Though she was working herself up to the pace they'd been at the bout before, Beckett was a little rougher than Castle had been, wanting not to waste time. She bit at her lower lip when he suddenly pulled up her negligee, cupping her ass with his hands. "Don't…" she murmured to him, though the touch was going all through her body, making her tremble a little.

"I won't," Castle said. And with that he suddenly sat up all the way; having been leaning against the back of the chair; before he pulled the straps of her lingerie down before pulling it off her breasts. He let himself fall back against the chair again, not surprised when Beckett leaned into his hands that had remained with her, cupping her mounds. "You wanted that?"

"I think you know… already," she replied, closing her eyes tightly as he was lightly flicking her nipples with his fingertips. "Oh god… Rick," Beckett moaned heavily as he then proceeded to slide his first two fingers back and forth with them in between, something they'd discovered together that she enjoyed. That time was no different and she was quick to make her husband sit all the way back up yet again, but she intended to keep him there as he took her right nipple between his lips. She breathed out in relief at the sensation and then moaned very quickly on the heels of that as it was still pleasurable. It was with a little amusement that she heard her husband groaning in response to what he was doing and she suddenly slowed down, so much so that he pulled away looking at her in slight frustration.

Though he wanted to ask her what she was doing, Castle knew she probably wasn't going to answer him so instead he reached down, pulling her negligee out of the way before he started to rub his fingertips flat against her clit. It was a surprise when she pulled his hand away almost instantly; though she was moaning in response to the pleasure that was obviously causing; and that time he couldn't help himself, starting to ask what she was doing, but she stopped him before he could speak by jerking down against him hard. He groaned and then grabbed the small of her back tightly with both hands as he followed her in thrusting very deliberately, back and forth repeatedly. He was soon breathing hard in response to his movements but he didn't stop, feeling her clutching at his shoulders tightly as their eyes were fixed on where they were coupled together. He could feel her tense under his hands and he finally broke his gaze from their bodies to her face, seeing she looked to be fighting with herself. "Don't," he told her suddenly, stopping completely and moving up to kiss at her jaw. "Just fuck me Kate," he said when she looked down at him.

Cupping his face in her hands, Beckett leaned down to brush her lips against his but that was all she allowed herself to do before she was getting off of him and off the armchair at the same time. She smiled when Castle scrambled to follow her and she stopped him before he could grab her as she stood in front of the couch. She pulled him down a little so she could whisper into his ear and she outright laughed when he pulled away to look at her; to check if she was serious she knew. "I meant what I said," she told him simply.

"Yeah, I can tell," Castle said, swallowing a little roughly as he was heavily salivating at what she wanted. "But, do you want us to finish that way?"

Shaking her head, Beckett pulled him down to her and whispered into his ear yet again, blushing when he smirked at her as he pulled back. "That I can't help," she said, biting her lower lip as he reached under her negligee to cup her ass with his hand again.

"No, and I don't think I can wait," Castle said, his voice a little huskier than usual, though he wasn't surprised. He helped his wife out of her lingerie and threw it over to the armchair before he was following her to the couch, on his knees behind her as she'd requested, since she was leaning against the back on her knees. He brushed his lips across the backs of her shoulders before he moved to slide inside of her, very slowly and deliberately so they could feel one another. Groaning heavily in satisfaction as he did so, it was almost a relief when he was completely within her, and without much ado; since he knew she wouldn't want that; he began to thrust. They groaned together at that first one since it set off instantly the pleasure they'd been experiencing before and he hoped his wife was going to continue feeling that as he knew already he was close. He mentally cursed his slight head start, though he'd enjoyed his wife's ministrations greatly. He leaned over then, kissing at the side of her neck before he began to suck hungrily at her skin, just above her racing pulse.

Moaning under her breath as she could feel Castle's mouth not stopping, Beckett reached back to cup the back of his head with her hand as she was trying to move with him. It was a little difficult as she didn't have that much room to work with him forcing her a little into the back of the couch. But she was still enjoying it and she sighed in pleasure as he finally left her neck for her shoulders, only brushing his lips there that time. She was relieved as with what time had passed she was very steadily nearing the edge and she didn't want to get there yet. It was a struggle, because what he was making her feel was culminating in her body and with each jolt of pleasure within her, it was adding on and doing so in such a way that it was hard to control herself. But she knew, as he whispered to her, "Lean back against me love," that she was slowly losing that battle with her body; not that she cared as her husband's hands came up to cup her breasts gently and each finger touching her was a long shock of fire that snaked their way down her to where they were joined and moving together still roughly.

Reaching up with one hand from her chest Castle placed it on her throat, not holding onto her just resting it there as they started to kiss. He groaned as she lost their rhythm they'd managed to set together, and the jerking motion of her body was too much for him to stand, and he was suddenly climaxing. His grip on her body became much tighter as his hand at her throat wrapped with his other around her stomach, pulling her back against him so tightly he was surprised they were still moving. It was with some slight relief that he soon felt Beckett tensing against his chest and she was rolling her head back and forth a little on his shoulder as they groaned one another's name before they began to slow, but didn't stop thrusting against each other while he loosened his embrace of her. "Damn it," he groaned when he finally stopped. "Let me…"

Beckett wanted to tell him she didn't mind orgasming as they had; since she'd told him she wanted to be looking at him once she did. But Castle was laying her on the robe on the couch after he'd pulled away from her and was suddenly plunging into her, holding her hips up with his hands. The angle and the depth he was getting into her were almost too much and when he grabbed her hand that was clutching at the pillow underneath her, making her touch herself, it was enough to get her to fall over the edge, even though there had been a brief space of time between that climax and her last. She clutched at his arms as she cried out his name, the ecstasy making her literally dizzy as that time it felt much more intense. And when her husband nearly yelled her name she got the feeling he was going through the same thing she was; hoping that he was. "Rick," she breathed simply as they finally stopped, limp with exhaustion.

"I know," Castle said, breathing out. He looked at his wife then and leaned down enough so he could take her lips with his own, groaning as he did so. "Should we get some sleep?" he asked when they had parted.

"No," Beckett replied with a smile that grew wider when her husband looked at her with wide eyes. "Close the fire," Beckett told him simply. She watched him after he'd gotten off her, not caring she was staring at him before he turned around to see her doing that. "I think I have a right to do that," she teased him; since he'd said the same about staring at her naked body many times before.  
"You do," Castle said with a smile. "But you're not tired?" he asked, getting the robe while Beckett got her negligee.

"Very," she replied, going over to the stairs first. She was a little surprised when she heard him seeming to bound up the stairs after her and she looked back at him with a smile saying, "I thought you were?"

"You would think that I know, but I'm just trying to make sure I'm not pushing you too hard for too much," Castle replied. "Since I have done that before."

"That was a onetime thing," Beckett protested as she blushed remembering. It had been almost a year after they'd been married, and they spent so long during the morning making love so roughly that she had been exhausted afterwards. So much so that he'd had to take care of the girls until she could regain her energy. "And since we're on vacation now…" she teased him after putting her negligee aside.

"You mentioned something about sleeping in tomorrow?" Castle asked her wryly as he pulled her over to him to sit on his lap as he was on the edge of the bed. He took her kiss easily as he had expected it, and ran his hands up and down her back while he was doing so. Finally he moved to her ear when they'd stopped and whispered something into it before she pulled back to look at him. "Is that a no?" Castle asked, watching her closely.

"It's not," Beckett said, getting off of him. "What I'm wondering though are the mechanics of this, how is it going to work out?"

"We'll see when you come back here," Castle said, watching her get something out of her suitcase. He was standing next to the bed as she walked over to him, taking it from her before he had her lay down. As soon as she was he lay on top of her and while he was kissing her again he switched on her vibrator, slipping it down so it was between them. But as he'd been moving, his erection wasn't in the right position to feel it, so he had to move away from her a little, "Can-" he started to ask as his other hand was holding himself up enough so he wasn't laying directly on her.

"I am already," Beckett said in a little frustration since the feel of the vibrations had already aroused her before he'd moved. She was reaching down, taking his length in her hand and carefully moved it so it was on his stomach. She moved his hand then and made him touch himself with the toy, watching as he instantly reacted, clenching his teeth together tightly. Satisfied, she made him do that for a little longer before letting him get back to what he'd been doing before. She cried out as he found her clit, rubbing her in slow, lazy circles as she pushed herself back into the bed while he was doing that. "I… I'm not going to last love," she warned him.

"Neither am I," Castle told her as he then started to touch himself at her direction again. He hissed heavily through his teeth at the sensation, a sense of satisfaction that went at the same speed as the vibrations. It shot through his entire body, but stayed centered mostly at his length, making him shudder a little at the feeling of it. He finally went back to pleasuring her, loving watching her as he did that. He played a little with her that time, instead of just staying at her clit he drew the blue device down to her folds, fondling them a bit as she cried out in response and arched her back immediately in response. After going back up to the heavily swollen nub he managed to kiss her, deeply, before she reached up to touch him with it.

Gasping into her husband's mouth as all of a sudden he was pressing his hips down towards hers, Beckett could feel the vibrator against her and she clutched at him with her nails raking over his shoulders as he moved against her. She did the same, and it suddenly became a sort of game they didn't realize they were playing, their bodies trying desperately to move faster than the other was, doing that for so long she was surprised they weren't climaxing twenty times over. Finally though, she stopped moving and reaching down in between them; luckily Castle moved out of the way of her hand; grabbed her toy, turning it off and managing to get it onto his nightstand. She then wrapped her legs around him as he moved to slide into her at the same time and she told him, "Now you can fuck me love," her tone more begging than demanding as it was punctuated by short moans as he started to thrust even before she'd finished speaking.

Moving harder at what she'd said, Castle could feel he'd gotten himself too close to the edge what felt like too quickly, but he could tell from the way Beckett was moving below him; writhing already; that she was the same. So instead of trying to delay their inevitable end, he tilted his hips slightly, just enough to be able to slam them into his wife's. The reaction was instant from her and he found himself in a heavy kiss as she dragged him down to her as hard as could and all the while as they were hungrily dueling inside her mouth and then his the building pleasure in him was unrelenting.

Only a few seconds into the kiss, Beckett pulled back and started to cry out before she finally cried out her husband's name. She begged Castle to make her come, raking her nails over his back as the orgasm felt a little more concentrated as she could still feel the after effects of the vibrator. She held onto him tightly when he started to move a little sloppily against her, feeling him climaxing shortly after she had, and she ran her hand up the back of his neck, stroking it carefully until she slowed down. Just before she stopped, her body still throbbing around him, she felt him thrust a few times in rough, rapid succession, before he did so one more time; slowly then; and then finally they had both stopped, breathing heavily together as the silence of the night descended on the room once again.

"We should… get some sleep," Castle said, wanting to make love to her again but knowing his body was protesting the thought.

Nodding, Beckett moved to her side of the bed as he came up behind her, pressing close to her back as she looked out the window. She liked to think she could see the Northern Lights in the sky, but she couldn't be sure, falling asleep too quickly to be certain.

* * *

The room was quiet, only breathing cut into the silence every once in a while, reaching Castle who two hours later was standing at the windows looking out. He then saw something in the distance, leaning up against the glass to try and discern what the small shadow was. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't realize his wife had woken up until she was touching his back, making him jump.

"What is it?" Beckett asked, looking where he'd been a moment before.

"I'm not sure," Castle said honestly, frowning. "I saw something… at least I think I did."

"An animal?" Beckett asked.

"It looked like it was going into the boathouse," Castle said, though they weren't really able to see the building as far from it as they were, only the roof and that just barely.

"It probably was an animal," Beckett said. "I hope it wasn't a bear or moose."

"Well, bears should be getting into their dens about now," Castle replied. He paused and then said, "I hope that's not a late bear."

"Come on," Beckett said, pulling on his arm.

"Go to bed," Castle told her. "I was just enjoying the view a little; I'll come in a second."

"Looking out naked though?" Beckett asked him as she stopped trying to get him to move. "You're not cold?"

"Not really," Castle said simply. It was then she stepped close to him, making him wrap his arms around her. "So you are then."

"Slightly, the bed was warm," Beckett said, teasing him. "Why did you get up?"

"I just did," Castle said simply. He rubbed her back before he looked down at her as they fell silent and he noticed that she was looking up at the sky. "Why don't we try over here," he said, leading her then over to the other side of the room. He quickly went to the closet, grabbing a blanket which he wrapped around his shoulders before taking his wife to the window, putting his arms around her and putting her in the blanket as well.

"No luck," Beckett said with a smile as they couldn't see anything. But she didn't try to get him to go back to bed again; instead she leaned back against him fully, smiling a little as she felt him kiss the side of her head.

"I wish I could take you back outside," Castle murmured at one point.

"Like this?" Beckett asked teasingly.

"You know we could," Castle joked, going along with her teasing. "Jump in the shower into some very hot water and then run out into the snow."

"You're supposed to go into a sauna or hot tub and then snow," Beckett told him before she turned around. "I would do that you know."

"Naked or clothed?" Castle asked, not surprised to hear her say that.

"Clothed," Beckett replied with a smile. "I get the feeling you'd be doing it completely nude."

"Oh of course," Castle said, smiling as she laughed before pressing her cheek to his shoulder. "Warmer?" he asked as she held onto his back.

"Very," Beckett sighed in pleasure before she moved her arms to his neck then, and kissed him. As he moved to respond, she parted her lips to his tongue, and things took off from there as they began to tilt their heads back and forth slowly though things were anything but between them.

When they pulled apart, Castle pushed the blanket off of his shoulders before he picked her up, carrying her back to the bed and laying her down in the middle of it. As he lay down on her he slid into her body and began to make love to her as she whispered to him, urging him to take her.

Becoming involved in each other, Castle and Beckett weren't aware of how much time passed until they were clutching at one another tightly. They were kissing yet again, moving frantically at the end until their bodies eventually slowed and then stopped completely.

Hearing their heavy breathing filling the room, Beckett ran her hand over the back of Castle's head, smiling when he moved his face from her neck, brushing his lips over hers momentarily. "I love you Rick," she murmured to him when he pulled away from her.

"Love you too Kate," Castle told her before he moved to lie down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her as she pressed against his side and said, "I was thinking, over there at the window-"

"Thinking what… oh," Beckett said with a smile as she watched him sit up then to grab the sheets from the end of the bed to cover them both. "Okay, finishing that thought," she prompted him.

"Just that it doesn't feel like we've been working on a case," Castle replied. "Which was a weird thought to be honest."

"You've had plenty of those," Beckett replied with a smile as she pressed her cheek to his shoulder.

"No, not really," Castle said, trying to sound serious. He laughed when she squeezed his other shoulder she was holding onto and he said, "It's just been a strange vacation."

"It's not over yet though, I'm surprised you're being so pessimistic," Beckett said.

"And you're forgetting how things go for us," Castle said. When he saw his wife's gaze on him he said, "Okay, sometimes, we've been lucky," he said. "And that look means I should have forgotten about the investigation right?"

"For tonight," Beckett reminded him. She smiled when he grinned a little at that, and then told him, "You should get some sleep."

"I'm too wired," Castle said, putting his free hand under his head. "Aren't you?"

"Not really, you wore me out," Beckett replied as she shivered when his fingers stroked her hair carefully. "But I'm not cold anymore," she said.

"No, I'm good for that," Castle replied, kissing her forehead as he let his hand go down to her upper arm which he rubbed gently. Looking down at her, he could tell that she was starting to get drowsy, and he finally had to confess saying, "I wanted to stay up the rest of the night."

"I realized that," Beckett said with a smile. "But everything was too much. Though," she told him as she turned onto her stomach so she was laying half on top of him. "I preferred it that way."

"I'm that good," Castle said. "Ow," he groaned with a laugh as she pinched his side. "But you were pretty amazing too love."

"Hmm, as were you," Beckett said with a smile before she kissed him. It was very tender and gentle before they pared and she murmured a goodnight to him before she lay back down against his side.

"Night love," Castle said, studying her as she soon fell asleep. He watched her as he then settled into the warmth the covers were giving them, holding her close to his side. He kept her close even as he fell asleep eventually while outside the night sky continued to shimmer ribbons of green.


	8. Read The Signs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple) by John Lennon, from his album Mind Games.

Feeling something brushing over her hair, Beckett rolled onto her back with a sigh before she opened her eyes, not really that surprised to see it was her husband. "So you slept?" she asked with a smile before he was handing her a mug of coffee.

"I did, not for a while, but eventually I did," Castle said, watching her sit up quickly to look at him. "What?"

"Oh good, I thought you went down to make that without anything on," Beckett said with a slight smile once she saw he was wearing his pajama pants. "The windows downstairs are not tinted," she reminded him.

"I don't think we need to worry about anyone being outside," Castle said, nodding to the window.

"Is it…?" Beckett asked before she looked out the window and saw the fat flakes of snow falling thickly there. She sighed and said, "So I would guess they're not coming."

"I really don't think the killer would have left, it was freezing last night," Castle reminded her.

"What about the lake?" Beckett asked.

"Still cold, and even colder if he decided to go that way," Castle pointed out.

"Okay, but we still can't really investigate," Beckett replied. "But do you think we could ask Morrissey to have another look at the room? Maybe the bodies as well." When he opened his mouth to speak she hurriedly said, "I know you wanted to stay in today, but I just want a final look, to make sure we didn't miss something. If we don't get anything new then I'll leave it to the local police."

"Actually I was going to agree with you," Castle commented. When his wife looked at him in slight surprise he smiled momentarily saying, "You're right, I'd like one last look at what we have. And the same about leaving it for the police if we can't find anything new."

"Okay, so… I don't think anything's going to change out there," Beckett commented. "If the killer was trying to get to the bodies and the crime scene-" she started to say.

"He'd be seen," Castle finished for her. "So what do you want to do now?"

"Drink my coffee," Beckett said, holding up the mug slightly. She smiled when he hurried around to his side of the bed; since he was holding his mug as well; and once he was sitting against the headboard with her she leaned against him. After a short time though, she finally became annoyed and pushed off the sheets before getting up.

"Uncomfortable?" Castle asked, watching her with a slight smile on his face.

"A little," Beckett replied, getting the one nightgown she'd brought. She'd intended to maybe try and seduce her husband one night with it, but tucked that idea for later; perhaps when they were back home; as she slipped on the deep blue silk. "Alright, so if we finish with the 'case'," she told him, putting the word into air quotes with one hand as she was drinking her coffee again. "Early, what do you want to do?"

"Snowball fight?" Castle asked her as he glanced outside. "Well, you want to go out to the hotel, when we're coming back here we could have a pretty nice one, the snow's already thick."

Sighing deeply Beckett shook her head and said, "I was thinking we could hold off on going out in the snow for as long as possible. Think of something else in the hotel."

"There's skating, the baths, golfing," Castle said. "And with the exception of the baths we've done that before."

"Alright, then we'll just come back here, and read," Beckett said. She finished the last of her coffee and as she was setting the mug down on her nightstand she smiled as Castle's arms wrapped around her. She turned back to him, not surprised when he slid so they were lying down. "I mean it though, about reading."

"I know, but when you're bored with reading?" Castle asked, stroking her hair as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Then we can play with your tablet," Beckett told him teasingly. "Or watch a movie."

"I think there's something better we should do," Castle said quickly.

"Better?" Beckett asked him, one eyebrow raised. "Really? You think I'd agree to that."

"Yes, because I know you're trying to get me to back down," Castle said quickly to her. He grinned widely when she narrowed her eyes at him and he leaned over, kissing her deeply on the lips. He wasn't too taken aback by her hesitating, but it was only slightly and soon she was responding to him, making him pull her just a little closer as they were running their tongues around each other inside his mouth before she beckoned him into her mouth. When he needed to breathe, the kiss was ended with a gasp from them both, and he murmured, "After we could read."

"I think you mean to say after we would do that again… and again… and yet again," Beckett said knowingly as she sat up, smoothing her hands over her hair as she watched him sit up out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, what would be so wrong with that?" Castle asked, knowing she was still joking. But he didn't mind her teasing about their love life, as he knew she was well on her way to agreeing with him.

"Oh, I don't know, I'd like to be able to walk without limping to dinner," Beckett told him simply.

"Come on, that was the one time we tried that position," Castle said, shaking his head as he recalled. "I don't know why we did that though… why?"

Beckett smiled and said, "We were feeling a little adventurous, but we should have realized Parvati and Shiva would be able to hold her leg up longer than you and I could," remembering the picture in their book. She finally sighed as she looked at him closely and said, "Why don't we come back here and just see how things end up okay?"

"Alright, but if you really want to read, I'll do that. Or watch a movie and everything else you said," Castle told her seriously. He then smiled and said, "I'll bet you that I can make you forget that list first thing coming back."

Shaking her head at that, Beckett wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "No bets, but you're welcome to try you know." She wasn't taken aback when he suddenly grabbed her tightly around the waist, pulling her onto his lap before crushing his lips to hers. She moaned lightly as they throbbed for a moment in reaction to the sudden pressure on them, but that throb raced up and down her body and made her respond a little hungrily to her husband before he suddenly moved, laying her down.

Watching his wife closely as she opened her eyes, Castle swallowed a little hard as they were half lidded with desire and he murmured, "You want to get up now don't you?" as he kissed her shoulders; what he could reach with the nightgown in the way.

"I did, yes," Beckett said, running her hand over his hair gently. "But the quicker we get this done…" She sighed in genuine regret as her husband sat up and she did so as well before telling him, "Maybe we can take a shower together though. Actually, you know what? Take out the maybe. Come on."

Castle was a little startled by how quickly his wife was speaking, so it took him some time to recover as she took him off the bed by pulling his hand. Luckily he was able to go down the stairs on his own and he followed her into the bathroom where he was quick to start pulling on her nightgown before she took over for him. "I'm surprised, usually it's me that does that," he told her as he removed his pajama pants.

Beckett didn't respond to that, simply smiling at him as they went into the shower stall. There she kissed him on the lips simply before she stepped back, standing below the water to wet her hair.

Unable to help himself, Castle reached up and ran his hands over her hair, carefully working his fingers through it as she stared at him. He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers before she stepped against him, making him move back. "Could have just asked," he said as he watched her lather the nearly black, wet locks.

"I could have," Beckett said simply, smiling at him before he made her turn around. She shivered as his nails scraped lightly against her scalp while he was rubbing her hair. He wasn't so much washing it; since she'd already done that; it was more she was allowing him something she knew he loved to do. Finally though, he stopped and she stepped back under the water, closing her eyes as his hands ran after the water, repeatedly. When she started to work the conditioner through her hair she chanced a look down at him and asked, "Okay?"  
"I'll be fine," Castle assured her. When she glanced at him disbelievingly he said quickly, "I don't want to lose any energy for later," wondering why he felt a little foolish in saying that to her.

"Interesting," Beckett said simply. She smiled at the look Castle gave her for that and she said, "It's rare you do, you realize that."

"I'm not going to risk it," he replied as she leaned back to rinse out her hair for the last time. He pulled her up to him then and holding her close he kissed her, a lot deeper than before. Their lips were a little rough with each other and they would have been happy to spend some time doing that but they couldn't forget the water and he pulled back, helping her wash before she did the same for him.

Stepping out of the shower once they'd finished, Beckett dried herself off, glancing at her husband as he was careful when he dried himself below his waist. "You're sure?" she asked him to make sure.

"Very, don't worry," Castle assured her. He watched as she pulled her nightgown back over herself, smiling as she glanced at him questioningly. "Remember what I asked you to do last night when you got dressed today?"

It took Beckett only a quick moment to realize what he was talking about and she felt her cheeks flush slightly before she told him, "Think we could take a rain check on that?"

"Not a problem, but you owe me," Castle said as he pulled his pants back on and then followed her back up to the bedroom.

"We'll see," Beckett said, trying to be teasing, though she failed to as her husband looked at her with a smirk on his face. "Oh stop, we'll see if anything even happens when we do that," she told him, throwing her towel over at him.

"Huh, caught it," Castle said, looking at it in his hand. He then handed it back to his wife before he said, "Is there anyone you want to talk to at the hotel?"

"Not really," Beckett said. She'd spoken slowly, and then said when he looked at her, "I think we've spoken with everyone we need to; I was trying to remember if anyone was in suite 850, but there wasn't. So short of talking with every last person in the…"

"Hotel?" Castle asked. "The three cooks," he said when he suddenly realized why she'd trailed off. "Think we should?"

"I do," Beckett said. "But the problem is getting them out from the kitchen."

"What if they're in their rooms? They were working pretty late last night, they can't be on shift yet," Castle told her.

"Good point," Beckett said, nodding to him.

"Think we should talk to Morrissey about this?" Castle asked her.

"We should, since he'll know who those cooks are," Beckett replied. "But for now, let's go, eat breakfast," she told him as they changed out of their pajamas. "And if the killer is watching us for some reason-"

"He'll think we've given up," Castle finished for her. At her nod he then said, "The problem becomes getting to Morrissey without anyone finding us. But I think I might know how to find out."

"One of the concierges?" Beckett asked. "That's a risk though."

"I'm thinking the one that'll be there now," Castle said. "She's helped us the most. But, to be safe we need to use an excuse to see him."

"Maybe that we want to complain about something here at the cabin?" Beckett suggested. "Something unsafe."

"A hole in the roof," Castle said. "Right here," he pointed to the ceiling. "Huge, the snow was too heavy and it collapsed."

"That might be too much," Beckett said, pulling on her sweater last. "Just say there are unsafe conditions in this cabin and we need to speak directly to him since it's his resort."

"Would have been a great story," Castle said as he went over to her.

"I know, but let's keep it simple, she knows who we are, and she'll let us see him," Beckett said, smiling slightly as he wrapped his arms around her. "For now though, let's see if we can't make it to the hotel."

Leaning down once she'd finished speaking, Castle brushed his lips against her checking to make sure that she wanted to kiss him before he made it deeper as she leaned against him. He kissed her hard, feeling her clutching at him tightly before he did the same with her, pressing on the small of her back a little harder than he wanted to. But she didn't stop in kissing him back so he continued until they had to breathe and he pressed his forehead to hers. "You should know something," he told her.

"What?" Beckett asked, smiling as their lips brushed against each other as they were speaking.

"I'm going to sound very cheesy; but you should know that I adore you," Castle told her, brushing some of her still damp hair off her cheek.

"Now it's cheesy?" Beckett asked.

"Well, I had to put that warning just in case," Castle said. "Don't tell anyone I say that constantly though." He then studied his wife and said, "You've told Lanie haven't you?"

"And Rebecca," Beckett said with a slightly smug smile. "But you shouldn't worry; she says that David can be the same way. Thinks that telling her he loves her so constantly makes him less of a man."

"Well, I don't think it does that for me," Castle said. "Just don't want to drown you in sap."

"Rick?" Beckett said then as he looked a little unsure of how he'd worded that. When he looked at her then she said, "It doesn't really matter to anyone else what we say to each other. Now kiss me."

Castle was quick to do that, kissing her carefully before he pulled back and then gave in to temptation, kissing her more passionately on the lips.

When they'd parted, Beckett smiled as her husband nuzzled her neck and she murmured to him, "I love you too Rick."

Not replying to that, Castle moved to kiss her again at that, but was surprised when she stopped him. Groaning he then said, "We need to go?"

"I need to dry my hair," Beckett told him. When she saw the disappointment on his face though she bit her lower lip and finally said, "Maybe one-"

Before she could finish that, Castle was swooping down to capture her lips with his own, kissing her tenderly but lingering as long as he could. They had to part eventually, but he knew she was doing so with as much regret as he was, both of them breathing deeply. " _I love you_ ," he said impulsively.

Biting her lower lip for a moment, Beckett smiled and brushed her lips against his before she told him, " _I love you too_." At that she forced herself to pull away before she grabbed her husband's hand, leading the way downstairs where she left him to go into the bathroom. She looked back at him and smiled again when she saw that he was staring after her, wondering if they were really going to read whenever they returned to the cabin.

"Kate, you don't think we should wait for the snow to ease up?" Castle asked, looking out the window next to the door as his wife came back with her hair dried making him want to reach out and touch the rich waves when he saw her.

"We'll make it," Beckett said, looking out as well. "Come on," she told him as she pulled on his hand, leading him out the door. She quickly pulled her scarf up over her mouth, making sure it was covered as Castle put his hand on her back and they made their way through the snow covering the path. It was a cold walk, as the wind was blowing and tugging their clothes. But it also helped them, almost pushing them the rest of the way to the hotel.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett," Hill said in surprise as the two blew in through the lobby doors. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Castle said, keeping his voice low so the concierge wouldn't hear them. "We decided to spend the day over here."

"Well, breakfast is still being served," Hill said while the two were taking off their outer layers and coats. "So if you'd like to eat go ahead please. We have a special visitor today, Mr. Morrissey; the owner; is here for the meal with his wife."

"Oh, interesting," Beckett said, looking at Castle as the man then left, heading towards the ballroom where they could see people eating. "It can't be that easy," she said.

"I think it is," Castle said as they gave their things to the concierge before heading to the room. He saw that at the table where everyone from the eighth floor was sitting was Morrissey, sitting by himself, and he glanced at his wife before they went to get their food.

Since the Maxtones and the Winsors weren't there at the table, Castle and Beckett sat next to Morrissey, not surprised when he smiled slightly at him. "I expected you two, though I wasn't entirely sure because of the snow of course," he told them, glancing out the windows next to the food.

"We thought we could try again with the investigation," Beckett said, keeping her voice low. "But we don't really have much we can look into that we haven't already."

"Then you're just going to review what you have?" Morrissey asked.

"We'd like to look at the room and the bodies again if it's possible," Castle said. "That's about all we can do. But there's also something else, we might request the help of security for that though."

"Looking at the security footage of each hallway on each floor," Beckett said, looking at her husband as she said that; since they hadn't discussed that, but the idea had suddenly come to her.

"That will take some time," Morrissey said, thinking that over.

"It's why we'd like Fraser to get started on that," Castle said quickly.

"Alright, I'll let him know, but how long of a time frame are you considering?" Morrissey asked.

"From about one to three forty five," Beckett replied. "It gives enough time for the killer to leave a room; if it is a guest; and get up to the suite."

"And if they go somewhere else until that time, we're hoping we could maybe track them down," Castle said. "Since they'd need to come down to the lobby," he said before he felt his wife squeezing his hand. He squeezed it back, knowing Beckett was thinking about the stairs and the root cellar. But he was also aware; as she was; that they didn't really have many options left.

"Okay, if you'll excuse me, I'll go ahead to security, let Fraser know what he needs to do," Morrissey said, setting his napkin on the table. "I'll also need to have two other guards help him out; or else he'll be there all day."

"As long as he trusts them," Beckett said quickly. After Morrissey had nodded and then left them to their meal, she said, "I completely forgot to ask, did we have any reception at the cabin?"

"No, I tried to text Alexis, to see how her class went yesterday, and it wouldn't send," Castle said. "Let's hope though that this does what the last storm did," he told her, gesturing vaguely outside. "Come back before we call them tonight."

Beckett nodded to that as she was eating but once she had finished she told him, "Let's take a look at the room first. I want to maybe try to reconstruct what had happened."

"Sounds… hey good morning," Castle said as they Maxtones walked over to them then and he was quick to change the subject.

"I wasn't expecting to see you two here," Chelsea said, sitting down. "The snow's been pretty thick this morning. Or do you not have food in your cabin?"

"We have the basics," Beckett replied. "So we wanted a meal."

"Well, since you're here," William said as he and his wife started to eat. "Would you like to join us in a round of golf, or skate maybe?" When the two exchanged a glance he smiled slightly and asked, "You're still looking into things?"

"We are," Castle said apologetically.

"But we'll take a rain check on the golf," Beckett said with a smile. "Maybe after the police can make it out here?"

"Of course," Chelsea said. "Good luck," she told them as they were getting up to leave.

After nodding to that, Castle and Beckett left the ballroom to head up to the eighth floor when they nearly ran into the Golds coming in. The couple glared at them before shoving past them to go inside.

"Lovely couple," Castle said wryly.

"I'm so glad we're a monogamous couple," Beckett said, giving her husband a look.

"Yeah, we are," Castle said quickly in agreement since he knew that was what she wanted. "Believe me, after last night, and our last night in our suite… I've got my hands full keeping up with you; and enjoying every second of it so you know." At his wife's smirk he said, "I'm serious. Let's go before they think we want to talk though; standing here." Relieved when Beckett nodded quickly he took her hand and they continued into the lobby to the elevators.

"Alright, I hope Morrissey let them know in security we're here," Beckett said as they stepped out onto the eighth floor. She led the way down to the suite and after they went inside she said, "So he picked the lock and came inside."

"Closing the door behind him," Castle picked up as he was doing that at the same time. "He probably waited to make sure the two were asleep, and he then walked over to the bedroom."

"I would say he probably paused again," Beckett told him as they went to the doorway. "And watched them."

"But to make sure again that they were asleep, or to just watch them," Castle said. "I hope it's the former because the latter option makes him insanely creepy."

"We're not really going to be able to find that out," Beckett told him with a slight smile. "So he comes in, and he goes straight to Dennis?"

"Likely," Castle said, following her to that side of the bed. "He wakes up and punches him in the jaw. But Lake?"

"She more than likely was woken up after Dennis was, but I can't be sure if it was before or after Dennis was struck," Beckett said. "So she's sitting up and before she can scream-"

"The killer shoots her," Castle said. "And then likely after her, Dennis. And he starts the fire." He paused then and walked around to the end of the bed, looking at the second place where the fire had been started.

"What are you thinking?" Beckett asked him as she watched him.

"I'm wondering about the fact that the killer might have used an incendiary," Castle said, looking up at his wife to see her opinion.

"No, it wouldn't work with how long it took for the killer to come in and out," Beckett said. "Unless…"

"He was watching them after they were dead," both she and Castle said at the same time.

"So he's creepy, definitely creepy…" Castle said, making a face before he leaned down, sniffing at the mattress. "I know, it looks gross," he said to the face his wife was making then as she watched him. "But I smell some… vodka?"

"Really?" Beckett asked.

"Just barely," Castle said. "Maybe him watching them he was trying to figure out what to do after realizing he just completed what he'd set out to do; his mission you can call it. And he decided he needed to hide what he could with that."

"But he doesn't want to burn down the hotel; just these two here on the bed," Beckett said, gesturing with her hand. When her husband nodded she bit her lower lip and mused, "So he must have had some experience with fires."

"Too bad we couldn't search Hill," Castle said.

"He might not have been caught or charged for anything," Beckett said, shaking her head. "Okay, so I think we have an idea of the murder," she told him. "But where'd he get the vodka? There's no mini-bar here."

"I know, very surprising to see that. What if I wanted to make you a martini the other night?" Castle asked jokingly.

"Come on, we need to speak with Morrissey," Beckett said, not responding to what he'd said. They left the room in time to see the man walk out onto the floor, telling him, "We needed to talk to you about something."

"Of course, I wanted to see you both," the owner said, staying by the elevator and waiting for them to join him. "And tell you that Fraser's getting started on the footage. It isn't destroyed in there is it?"

Castle would have been suspicious of the man's reaction, but he quickly realized he was nervous about the crime scene; likely not wanting to see where two people had been murdered since he and Beckett had met people like that working together. "It's not, but you'll need a new bed and a fresh coat of paint," he told him quickly to put him at ease.

"I'm wondering, is there any way to get liquor up to the rooms?" Beckett then asked to get the focus back to the crime. "Do you serve vodka at all?"

"No, nothing hard. We have a bar off the café and you can drink it there, but nothing more than wine and beer in the rooms," Morrissey told her. "Why?"

"No reason, we'll take a look at the bodies now," Beckett said quickly. "After we check our suite; I think I may have left a scarf of mine behind. Excuse us."

"Nicely played Kate," Castle said as they were walking toward the suite. "Gives us a chance to talk," he said as he glanced back to see Morrissey stepping into one of the elevators.

"I'm wondering if the killer brought his own liquor, or he stole it from the bar," Beckett said once they were inside their former suite with the door closed.

"Traveling with that is not easy," Castle said. "Who was it that was from Michipicoten?"

"Lyons," Beckett replied. "But he doesn't really feel right." She thought for a moment and then said, "We might need to ask Fraser about any drinking that might go on in the staff quarters."

"Think he'd tell us?" Castle asked her.

"I'm not sure, though really, we wouldn't have much of a reason to tell Morrissey about that, if he's got any kind of rule against drinking there," Beckett said. "Which I doubt."

"Me too, but you realize it's got to be a high proof vodka," Castle said.

"I know, I've seen flaming shots at a bar," Beckett replied. "May worked at that bar and she told me all about them."

"You ever see anyone forget to put them out?" Castle asked, interested since she hadn't told him that.

"Not forget, but make sure they tried to drink them still on fire," Beckett replied, going to the window in the main room of the suite. "One of them was to try and impress me. But I don't know, burning hair and skin is not very attractive. So we need to go to the bar now, look at their vodka to see how high the content is."

"And after head over to talk to Fraser?" Castle asked, standing next to her as he saw what she'd gone to look at. "Great," he said as he studied the snow that had eased up considerably. "One thing now." When his wife looked at him he said, "Give us a kiss."

Shooting him a look, Beckett was going to leave so they could get down to the bar, but she changed her mind and brushed her lips against his. "Now let's go," she said, grabbing him by the ear.

"Ow! Okay, sorry!" Castle nearly yelled as he was dragged off though she was being careful not to pull too hard. "You know, I figured that by the time we got married that would stop," he said, rubbing his ear for a moment when she'd let him go.

"I haven't done it in a long time," Beckett said. "And you needed something to get back to the case."

They headed back down to the lobby, not surprised to see very little people there as they walked across to the café. The room was small and there were a few guests in it, having brunch and reading papers or books. They continued to the back where there was a separate room and a bar and they went to the bartender, who was setting things up while a woman was setting out chairs at the tables.

"Can I help you?" the bartender asked.

"Yes, I'm Kate and this is my husband Richard-" Beckett started to say, not wanting to include their last names to put the man at ease so he'd speak with them.

"Ah, the writers, I'd heard you two were asking around about the two people that died," the man said. "I'm Justin Spinnet, what can I help you both with?"

"We're wondering if you have any kind of service here where you sell bottles to patrons," Castle began.

"Oh no, no, by the glass only unless it's wine," Spinnet said, shaking his head. "Morrissey's careful with alcohol consumption; a friend of his had a hotel in Burnaby on the west coast, it burned because of a few drunken guests."

"Then we're wondering, do you sell vodka?" Beckett asked.

"Oh of course, we have mixed drinks and that's an ingredient in many of them," Spinnet answered, nodding his head. "Do you want a drink?" he asked, unsure what his bar had to do with the deaths of two people.

"No, we're just trying to figure something out," Castle said quickly.

"Would you mind if we looked at your bottles?" Beckett asked him.

"Go ahead," Spinnet replied.

Going behind the bar, Beckett saw a few bottles of different kinds of vodka, different proofs. "What's the highest you have?" she asked then.

"This one, at fifty percent, it's for shots," Spinnet replied.

"Do you have a storage room where you keep these? An inventory?" Castle asked.

"Of course, do you need to see?" Spinnet asked. He frowned slightly when they both nodded and then asked, "Were they murdered?"

"We would just like to see the bottles," Beckett said simply.

"Right," Spinnet replied with a quick nod of his head before he led them to a door behind the bar. "Here's the inventory, we keep careful track, because sometimes in the winter you can't get supplies that quickly, so we sometimes need to ration."

"Thank you," Beckett said, showing Castle the number of fifty proof bottles there were supposed to be on the shelf.

Going to it, Castle counted, paused and then looked at the number before he counted once again. "You're missing a bottle."

"What?" Spinnet said, looking at the shelf. He counted himself, and then swore as he went out of the room calling, "Alicia! Where's the last bottle of fifty proof vodka? It's missing!"

"No, it's not," the woman said, coming up to the bar. "You don't remember Hill asked for it?"

"For what?" Beckett asked.

"For the dinner last night," Alicia said. "I didn't get a chance to mark it down yet."

"When was the last time you took inventory?" Castle asked.

"Yesterday morning, around this time," Alicia replied. "He came to me and told me he wanted it for the bar they were setting up in the ballroom."

"Sorry about that," Spinnet said. "We do inventory every other day."

"That's alright," Beckett said. "The last time you did inventory; not yesterday but on Sunday, was anything missing?"

"We brought everything down from Michipicoten," Spinnet said quickly. "We don't leave liquor here when it's closed."

"Okay, then thank you both for your help," Beckett said before she and Castle left.

"Well, I think the time's come love," he said once they were out in the lobby, keeping his voice low so the concierge wouldn't hear them.

"So do I," Beckett said. And with that she and Castle went to security, where they were let in by Fraser. "I'm wondering if you might take a break from the footage we asked for," she told the man.

"Oh of course ma'am," Fraser said. "What can I help you with?"

"We need footage from the lobby, looking down the hall where the kitchens are at about… nine last night," Castle said, looking at his wife who nodded in confirmation of the time.

"Sure," Fraser said quickly, going to his desk and to another TV. He set up the footage and at the time they asked for; he paused and said, "You need to talk to these three men?"

"We do," Beckett replied. "Can you identify them?"

"I can," another security guard said from behind. "The one on the left is Andre Vargas, the middle guy is Brent Sand and the one on the right is Santiago Santos."

"Thank you," Beckett said with a nod. "That's all we needed," she said to Fraser who was looking expectantly at them. "If you get anything…" she started to say but then trailed off as their phones still weren't working.

"I'll find you," Fraser said simply.

"Thank you," Castle said, Beckett echoing that before they headed back to the lobby. "Well, you know, the great thing about this is we're getting plenty of exercise walking around this place."

Shaking her head though there was a smile playing at the corners of her lips, Beckett went over to the concierge and she smiled at the woman before asking, "I'm wondering if there's any way to know if three workers are in the kitchens?"

"There is, they need to punch in before they go to work here, whatever it is they do," the woman replied with a nod. "I can check here on the computer if you let me know who it is you're looking for."

"Vargas, Sand and Santos," Castle said immediately. When his wife looked at him he said quickly, "How many people are going to have two of those last names?"

"I know who you're talking about," the concierge assured them. "They work in the kitchen. And they are all in the kitchens."

"Would we be able to talk to them?" Beckett asked.

"I think so, but you might have to talk to the head chef-" the concierge started to say.

"Ms. Beckett!" Fraser said, running out then. When they were looking at him he slowed down and said, "There's something."

Following him quickly, Castle and Beckett went into the security office and gathered behind Fraser.

"I got this, on the third floor at the time you said," the man told them, playing the footage.

There a man was stepping out of a room, followed by a woman; they were both turned with their backs to the camera, so they weren't able to be seen.

"Whose room is that?" Beckett asked.

"The Golds, Todd and Lynn-Ann," Fraser said. "I went back and they returned to their room only an hour before."

"Thank you," Beckett said with a nod before she and Castle hurriedly left to talk in the hall. "He's about the same height as you," she told him.

"I know, but what about his wife?" Castle asked her.

"Maybe she went somewhere else," Beckett said. She glanced back to the room saying, "We need to ask them to try and track her, unless he's doing that for us already."

"And also track him," Castle replied. He paused and then said, "We should talk with them though while they're doing that."

Letting out a short groan, Beckett finally nodded and she and her husband left for the lobby before they paused at the same time. "How are we going to find them?"

"Hill," Castle said. "He keeps an eye on everyone."

"Okay," Beckett replied as she followed him over to the man who was talking to the concierge.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett, I hope you're enjoying your stay though you're having to work," Hill said. At their slightly shocked expressions he smiled slightly and said, "I heard that you were talking to some people. The two weren't murdered were they?"

"We're still trying to figure that out," Beckett said quickly. "I'm wondering though if you know where Todd and Lynn-Ann-"

"The Golds?" Hill asked, cutting them off. When they nodded he said, "You want to talk to them?" When they nodded yet again he sucked in a deep breath saying, "I don't know if I would do that if I were you. They always try to pick up couples to sleep with them, I've had a number of complaints about them from other guests, but there's not much I can do."

"They tried with us," Castle said darkly. "And we refused."

"We just need to speak with them, very quickly," Beckett assured him.

"Alright, well, they're at the skating rink," Hill said. "Good luck to you both."

Watching him walk away, Beckett replied, "He's a pretty good actor."

"He is, my mom would make a field case out of him if we told her about this," Castle said. "But for now, I guess we're going to the skating rink after all."

Walking over to the room it was housed in; Castle and Beckett were surprised to see the rink wasn't that full. But they pushed away their surprise and went to the edge, leaning against the railing as they soon saw the couple they needed to speak to.

"I have to wonder if they're going to want to even come near us," Castle commented.

"We'll see," Beckett said. She then got an idea and said, "Lynn-Ann, Todd, hey, we were wondering where you were today." She tried not to laugh as her husband was looking at her in slight horror at her genial tone, and the couple was flabbergasted at her waving them over.

"What the hell do you two want?" Todd Gold asked once he and his wife had skated up to them.

"We saw you two left your room early the other night," Beckett said. "When there was that fire. Where did you go?"

"We came here," Lynn-Ann snapped angrily. And with that she and her husband locked arms, and skated away.

"And I think that's all we get," Castle said, a little startled at that abrupt answer. "Should we go ask Fraser?"

"I think so," Beckett said with a sigh. "At least that didn't last for too long."

When they stepped out into the lobby, Castle and Beckett heard their names being called, and then turned, seeing one of the cooks running from the direction of the kitchens.

"Sir, ma'am, there's something you need to see," the man; Andre Vargas they immediately recognized; said.

Following him over to the kitchens, they were surprised when the man led them to the freezer where the bodies were. They looked at him for an explanation while the other cooks and head chef were standing at the other end of the room in a knot; seeming to be talking to themselves as they watched.

"I was walking by, and noticed the door open a little bit, very tiny bit," Vargas said, almost stumbling over his words. "Smoke was coming from inside, so I was going to close it, but wondered why it'd be open we were told to leave it alone 'cause of… what's inside. So I opened the door and saw…"

When he didn't continue, Castle and Beckett grabbed some gloves on a counter near them and they headed inside. They didn't really have to go far though, since as soon as they were inside the freezer, they could see what the man had noticed. On the bottom shelf was Lake's body, and she was uncovered, her left hand pulled over to the right; her engagement ring gone.

"Who was in here?" Beckett asked, going back out immediately to the kitchen. "No one noticed this until now?" When all she got were wide eyes and shakes of the head she said, "Who has the key to this freezer?"

"I-I do ma'am, but it's been unlocked," the chef said carefully, stepping over to them. "For you both to come in; Mr. Morrissey told me to leave it unlocked this morning."

"What time were you starting breakfast?" Beckett asked, looking them all over.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett," a voice said from the door. When Castle and Beckett were looking at him the bellman they'd spoken to before, Simon Perkins said, "I found something."

"In the staff quarters?" Castle asked as Beckett told the head chef to lock the freezer before he handed her the key.

"Yeah, I was getting ready to start my shift when I stepped out and noticed… well, let me explain when we get there," Perkins replied as they walked through the lobby to the front desk.

Going down one of the two halls past the staff common room, Beckett saw the open door at the very end, and she looked around, trying to remember which hall they were in. But by then they'd reached the doorway, and when she looked in she saw a broken bottle on the floor, soaking the cuff of a white shirt.

"Vodka, the bottle slightly burned," Castle murmured as they stepped inside. "And blood," he said, looking closer at the shirt that had darkening red flecks on the chest.

"And the ring too," Beckett said, seeing the engagement ring nestled in the folds the shirt had made falling from the dresser it had been in. She went to it and looked at the ring, feeling through her rubber glove that it was ice cold to the touch. She glanced at Castle and handed it to him before she looked down into the drawer where all the items had been stored.

Seeing his wife frowning as she pulled something out, Castle asked, "What is it?"

"A picture…" Beckett said, showing it to him.

"They're in Toronto," Castle said, seeing it was of Dennis and Lake. "Why would he have a picture of them there here at the resort?"

"I don't know, but look," Beckett said, seeing there was a piece of fabric in the drawer.

"Thought that was going to be something else," Castle said, taking the scarf that she held. "Lake's?" he said.

"I saw her wearing it when Dennis and Hill were arguing," Beckett said. "Before the fire."

"Is this who killed them?" Perkins asked, his eyes wide as he looked at the evidence that Beckett and Castle were putting on the top of the bed.

"Whose room is this?" Beckett asked as she turned to him.

Perkins was just about to speak when the concierge was yelling down the hall to them.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett! He just ran out!" the woman cried.

Taking off back outside with Perkins trailing them, Castle and Beckett were able to see the man in question racing through the snow, slowed down by how deeply it had fallen during the short storm.

Beckett was able to grab her coat but she saw her husband was running to the front door and she ran after him, throwing on the black wool as he went outside. She soon found herself fighting to get through the snow and she managed to catch up to Castle as he stopped suddenly, looking over to his left. "What?" she asked him a little breathlessly.

"No, he disappeared," he hurriedly told her as he glanced at the trees.

"The footprints," Beckett said, seeing the tracks. "Why didn't you-"

"Thought they were from snurfing; there's more than one," Castle said quickly.

"We want the long trails," Beckett said then as they'd stopped trying to step through the snow and instead were dragging their legs as they could go a little faster that way. "Like we're doing, and put on your coat," she said, throwing it as she'd grabbed it off the front desk before racing out after him.

Pulling it on, Castle went after the trail in the snow ahead of them, trying to run but having a hard time doing so. They turned the corner of the hotel, and he realized then where their killer was running saying, "He's going to the root cellar."

"I know," Beckett nearly huffed out as she fell to her hands and knees. She took Castle's hand as he helped her up, and they turned trying to run back to the hotel. It took more time than she'd thought, even with the trail they'd already managed to break in the snow; both of them falling once as they went.

"Where is he?" Morrissey asked, standing in the lobby at the front door with some of his employees and even some guests who'd heard the commotion and had been watching them.

Not answering, Castle led the way to the stairwell, hoping no one was going to follow them as they paused inside, waiting to hear something.

A clatter above made Castle and Beckett look up, seeing a flash of black in the space in the railings about two floors up and they looked at each other, trying to think of what to do. As if deciding with nothing but their glance to one another they raced up after him, knowing they were going to be pushing it with the sound of their feet thudding against the steps. Still about two floors above, the killer suddenly opened a door and they heard it slam closed as they neared the fifth floor.

"Go," Beckett whispered to her husband, urging him to the door.

Watching and waiting for his wife to go down another flight, Castle opened the door, and stepped inside; turning the corner the entrance to the stairwell was at. Before he could react, he was suddenly punched in the stomach and shoved to the floor, gasping for air as he heard the door slam shut back at the stairs.

Waiting, Beckett was soon racing after the killer and she was just able to grab him, making him slide down the rest of the way to the third floor landing, bringing her with him before she could stop. "Stop running Hill!" she yelled putting him in a headlock as he was bent over slightly.

"Ah, let go, I think I broke my ankle!" Hill was groaning.

"Take him," Beckett said as she saw Fraser and Hagan appear on the stairs below her. "Tie him up because he'll run the first chance he gets."

"Where are you going?" Hagan asked as she turned around to go back up the stairs.

"To check on my husband," Beckett said, rushing up to the fifth floor. She was relieved to find that he seemed to be okay when she turned the corner, the concierge and Morrissey with him, giving him a bottle of water. "Okay?" she asked Castle as she knelt next to him.

"Here, thought you might need this after running," the concierge said, feeling a little foolish as she handed Beckett a second water bottle.

"Thank you," she said as she took it. Once the two had left them alone, Beckett turned to her husband questioningly as he was drinking some water.

"I'm good," Castle said as he then stood. "Please tell me you got him."

"No, he slipped back down to the root cellar and- of course I got him," Beckett said. She sighed and said, "Feeling up to talking to him?"

"Sure, I'd like to hear his story, see if he can possibly explain why he killed them," Castle said.

Nodding, Beckett took his hand, walking with him to the elevators where they would head down to the lobby to question Hill. She squeezed his hand slightly, knowing when he repeated the action to her that he was feeling the same sense of relief she was in the fact that they'd solved the case and could get back to their vacation for certain with the activities director finally in custody.


	9. Gone's The Sun, My Dark Has Come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first sentence from the book Finnegans Wake by James Joyce is in this chapter.
> 
> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Tragedy written by Gerald H. Nelson and Fred B. Burch, the version I have taken from is from the recording by Paul McCartney and Wings an unreleased version from their Red Rose Speedway album.

Watching his wife as he walked back to her from the kitchen, Castle said, "You think we did the right thing?"

Looking over at him, Beckett closed the closet door where she'd hung her coat after he'd done the same with his and studied him before saying, "He would deny it, and Rick, we found pretty solid evidence against him in his room."

"That's true," Castle said. "But I have to wonder about him tied up in that room."

"I know, but at this point I think it's up to Morrissey what happens to Hill, since he committed a murder on his property," Beckett replied. "Now come on, I'm freezing and I'd like to warm up a little."

Castle tried not to think of what had happened when they'd gone to see Hill who had been placed in the closet in the staff quarters. Since it had been a former room, he was comfortable, except for the fact that he was being guarded and also restrained with handcuffs that the security office had provided. He and Beckett had tried speaking to him but the man hadn't replied, maintaining his silence after they'd tried everything they could to elicit a response from the man, which had made him uncomfortable. But the resort owner had told them that the police would be on their way the next day, as they had finally gotten a snowplow to work on the highway out of Sault Ste. Marie and were going to make their way up to them.

Shaking his head then as Beckett led him inside the bathroom, Castle took off his clothes, having to agree with her that he was pretty cold. While it was still snowing it was only doing so slightly but the wind was still heavy and it cut right through their clothes on the long walk back to the cabin. It was then he realized that his wife had spoken, and she was looking at him expectantly. "Sorry love, I was just thinking. What did you say?" he asked her guiltily.

"Do you want to do this?" Beckett said.

"Yeah, I'm undressed… partially," Castle said, looking down at himself then to see he was naked from the waist up. He wasn't surprised when his wife walked over to him and started to unbutton and unzip his fly, and while he let her do that he cupped his hand under her cheek, tilting it up so he could kiss her. He was relieved when she kissed him back; as it meant she wasn't too mad at him; and he groaned in pleasure as their tongues met between their mouths before slowly pulling away from each other. "Again," he said quickly as she was slow to open her eyes and he could see the desire in them.

Beckett didn't have a chance to reply to that as her husband was kissing her a little harder, but not being too passionate. She was a little surprised, but when he moved away from her that time to take off the rest of his clothes she understood and hurried to stop the water filling the bath. She waited for him to get inside before she followed him, leaning back against his chest after he was ready for her. Her body instantly warming up she shifted back against Castle, feeling his arms coming around her as she sighed. "Much better," she said before laughing softly as he kissed the nape of her neck.

"I know, I was going to suggest that snowball fight once we got here in the woods in front so no one would see us, but…" he commented, knowing his wife was rolling her eyes without having to see her face. "You love me still right?" he asked, pulling her back tighter to him.

"I do, but you realize you're like a little kid sometimes," Beckett teased. She then tensed up when he shifted and she bit her lower lip for a moment before saying, "Maybe not this second… but sometimes."

"Hopefully you don't mind the twelve year old me still," Castle told her, brushing his lips over the shell of her ear.

"Hmm, not in the slightest, because you manage to overpower him… like right this second," Beckett breathed in joy as his lips ran over her neck and down to her shoulder very carefully. "I love when you're like this you know."

"I know," Castle said, grunting when she elbowed him. But since her arm was underwater it wasn't that hard and he had her turn her head a little as he was making her lean back more so that they could kiss slowly and sensuously until the need to breathe became known to them both.

"So now we're back," Beckett said, as she settled against his chest. "I think we should eat lunch and then take some time to decompress."

"Then you and I were thinking the same," Castle told her. "I have a very nice Bordeaux ready for us; though actually it wasn't to decompress, it was more to have with lunch."

"You knew already we were going to eat here?" Beckett asked with a smile. Then she realized something and said, "You got it ready yesterday, thinking we'd be finished with the case?"

"Well," Castle had to admit. "Not finished but I thought we'd be handing it over to the police. But it's ready and I think we should further decompress… as you put it, by reading a little. It would seem a shame to not look and see what they have on the shelves out there."

"You haven't looked yet?" Beckett asked.

"Actually no, I've been a little preoccupied with something else," Castle said, nipping at the junction of her neck and shoulder, making her laugh. "Can I?" he asked then, turning his attention to her hair which she'd put up into a haphazard bun.

"No," Beckett said simply. She could almost feel his protest, so before he could say anything she told him, "When we get out of the water."

"Alright," Castle said, pretending to sound frustrated but he was fine with that. He wrapped his arm back around her and they looked out the window the tub was next to; luckily that one was tinted as well and he commented to his wife about that fact.

"Are you an exhibitionist, you sound like you'd want that window to be clear of any obstruction," Beckett teased him, looking up at him. She smiled when he groaned and leaned forward, pressing his forehead to her shoulder. "I'm kidding, but it makes this a really nice tub."

"What do you think they're doing right now?" Castle asked her after they were silent for a while, knowing that they were thinking of the same thing.

"Well, both are having lunch most likely," Beckett said. "And I hope Eliza's not having the same problem she was yesterday."

"Me too," Castle said with a nod. "Since they can't call us." He thought for a minute and said, "I used to do this when Alexis was young you know."

"Think about what she was doing in school?" Beckett asked him, not surprised to hear that.

"And when I was out of town; book tours," Castle quickly said, in case she might think he was constantly out of town while his daughter was a child.

"No, I figured. But you probably had the odd trip out with her mother," Beckett said.

"Once in a while," Castle said. "Remember she was focusing a lot on her career. But yeah, I'd be relaxing, or doing something that made me think of her, and I'd wonder what she was doing that moment, and I'd miss her a lot."

"Makes you a good father," Beckett said simply. "Alright, before we start getting depressed missing Julia and Eliza, we should get out."

Though he was enjoying himself greatly, Castle let go of his wife as the water was becoming lukewarm. He stood up with her and waited until she had dried off before he went to her.

"I know," Beckett said, shaking her head though she was smiling as he carefully undid her hair. Without a word she walked out, tucking her towel around her and knowing he was watching her as she went.

"You know I pride myself on my vocabulary," Castle said once he was upstairs with her.

"Very much so, why?" Beckett asked as she grabbed some clothes

"I can't find another way to say it love, so here you go; you're a vixen sometimes," Castle said simply, with her at the closet getting his own clothing out. "I should probably change that to most of the time in fact."

Beckett didn't reply to that, she merely smiled before she took the towel off her body, dressing quickly without looking at her husband. She glanced at him once they were dressed and said, "We have some time before dinner…" she began as he walked over to her, dressed as well.

"Let's see how things go," Castle said simply. At her startled surprise he told her, "I'd like to be spontaneous this time around, no planning."

"Okay," Beckett replied though she was still taken aback. She followed him downstairs to the kitchen where they grabbed their lunch Morrissey had insisted they take back with them. She smiled; watching Castle pour their wine; as the man had almost pushed a bottle of Cristal on them as well he was so grateful for them finding the killer.

"What?" Castle asked as he looked up to see the smile on his wife's face.

"Just remembering Morrissey," Beckett said. "How he was trying to get us to take something from the bar if we wanted it."

"Yeah, I guess he's feeling like he dodged a bullet with Hill in custody," Castle said. He followed Beckett to the table where they started to eat, at first not saying anything until they'd had a few sips of wine.

"I was thinking, since we're finished with the investigation, case, whatever we can really call all of that," Beckett said first. "We start thinking about what to do on our vacation."

"Good point," Castle said. "So what would you like to do now?"

Smiling at his look, Beckett said, "I was thinking about snowshoeing like you said you wanted to do."

"Really?" Castle asked, looking a little eager at that.

"Really," Beckett replied simply. "What I was thinking was we could go north, and go as far as possible until we reach that park."

"What if it's too cold to do that though?" Castle had to point out since it was still grey outside.

"Then we can head to the baths," Beckett replied. When her husband's eyes went wide she smiled and nodded telling him, "I wouldn't mind trying it out, just once."

"And then we could play with the Maxtones, we owe them a round of golf," Castle pointed out to her.

"Actually two, so it's a full game of eighteen holes," Beckett replied with a smile.

"Okay, so I guess we should just see how the weather is," Castle commented. When his wife nodded, they went back to their food but he finally had to say, "I'm starting to wonder if I should be so gung-ho about the baths now."

"Seriously? You kept hinting about them and now you don't want to go," Beckett said, looking at him.

"Well, think of how it's going to be for me," Castle told her. "One, you're a ridiculously attractive woman and there will be men there. Two, you're attractive and I'm your husband, it's hard to control. And last but not least; the Golds?"

"With that last one you have no idea if they'll be there," Beckett said simply, shaking her head. "The first one, I thought I mentioned something about being monogamous? And second… well, there's not much I can help you with concerning that." A smile spread across her lips then and she said, "But I could help later."

Shuddering, Castle managed a nod before he finished the last of his sandwich and chips. He cleared up for his wife as he wanted some sort of distraction. Though that backfired a little for him as his thoughts started to go back to the case before he could stop himself.

While Castle was washing the dishes their food had been on, Beckett poured a little more wine for them both; careful not to go overboard with the burgundy liquid since she didn't want to have too much of a buzz if they ended up being intimate in any way. She took her glass and headed for the couch, sitting up on it as she stretched her legs across while she looked towards the kitchen. She began reading the book that they'd bought for Julia again, becoming so involved with it shortly she never noticed when her husband finished and had gone over to the shelves.

Seeing an interesting mix of books the cabin had, Castle wondered if anyone had ever tried to steal them; but guessed that they had an inventory of those as well. That thought made him frown, and he picked a book at random, relieved when it was a book by Joyce.

"What'd you find?" Beckett asked.

"A James Joyce book… _Finnegans Wake_ ," Castle said, a little surprised at the title.

"Have you read that one before?" Beckett asked him, wondering at his reaction.

"I started it, never finished it," Castle said. "Oh good, this is books one and two," he said when he read the title page. He turned, looking at the bookshelf where he'd gotten the tome, seeing another one in the same cream binding. "And that'll be three and four." He went to the couch and sat on the space left on the couch next to his wife, seeing the look on her face. "Have you read it?" he asked her.

"I did," Beckett said simply. "It's an interesting book, very long to read though; I divided them into separate books and didn't read them all at once."

"How did you know I tried to read it all at once?" Castle asked though he was smiling.

"Because I know you too well Rick," Beckett said, sitting up so she could lean over to him. She pressed her lips to his in an almost chaste kiss, and was about to move away when he pulled her in for another kiss.

Lingering slightly in that, it took Castle a little to recall the other reason why he'd held his wife in place besides wanting to kiss her again. "Read this for me," he told her. When she looked at him in confusion he quickly told her, "Just that first… well, I should say the opening. I want to hear how you say it."

Beckett smiled at that and took the book, reading, " _riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs._ Did the language make you give up?" she then asked him. "Or the fact that he starts in the middle of a sentence?"

"Neither, the length," Castle told her. "I found the language was amazing. I almost tried doing that for a book before I thought of Derek Storm. But I doubt my publisher then would have gone near it. And Joyce was a genius, and a rebel, starting that opening in the middle of a sentence, I applaud him for that." He then looked at her closely and said, "Do something else for me?"

"What?" Beckett asked, wondering what he would ask.

"Read that again with an Irish accent," Castle said, completely serious.

"I'm going back to Julia's book, you have fun with Joyce," Beckett said wryly, pressing a kiss to his temple before sitting back as she'd been doing before.

The cabin was quiet then, except for the sound of Beckett turning the pages in her book. It was a soft, quiet noise that didn't really disturb the two, until she suddenly broke the silence, nearly making Castle jump as she spoke.

"Are you having that difficult of a time reading?" Beckett asked him. When her husband looked at her she pointed out, "You haven't turned the first page at all, and we've been reading; or I guess I have; for at least ten minutes."

"I'm just thinking…" Castle said before he trailed off. He studied his wife before he suddenly set the book on the table that was next to him.

Watching him go, Beckett was a little confused when he went up the stairs, but she knew he wasn't likely going to tell her what he was doing until he was ready to. Sighing under her breath she went back to the book, but found that she was having a hard time reading herself then. She was just setting the ribbon marker that came with the book when her husband came down and she was startled to see he'd thrown on a fleece pullover with a sweater under that; as well as his shirt he'd changed into after their bath. "Do you want to go out?" she asked, setting the book on top of his as she got up.

Castle paused on his way to the closet and looked at his wife closely before he sucked in a deep breath of air. "I want to talk to Hill," he said.

"We tried that and he wouldn't," Beckett said in some exasperation as she realized that he was still thinking about the case.

"I know, but this doesn't feel right Kate," Castle told her. "Everything was too neatly done in the end. If this was a story-"

"Castle, this isn't a story," Beckett interrupted him. "If he was being set up then why wait until now. And why would someone use that ring now, it's a little sloppy for a set up."

"I don't think so, I think whoever the killer is realized that we weren't suspecting Hill enough and used that to push us to him," Castle replied.

"It's just as likely that Hill took the ring because he had the chance and he was getting ready to try and destroy the evidence," Beckett said. "Remember the furnace? There are signs that someone was trying to figure out how to turn it back on. Hill was trying to get it back on and he was interrupted getting everything ready to get rid of which was why the stuff was out."

"I need to talk to him," Castle told her, almost pleading with her. "If he doesn't talk to me then I swear I'll come back here sit down with _Finnegans Wake_ and will go around the bend in the bay, I promise."

Though she was a little annoyed, Beckett couldn't help smile at that slightly and groaned saying, "You're a frustrating man Richard Castle."

"You married me still," Castle said, since he always pointed that out to her when she said something like that.

"I did," Beckett sighed. "Go, talk to Hill, I personally don't want to slog through the snow again, especially with it as cold as it is." She followed him the rest of the way to the closet and waited for him to get his coat on before he pulled on his gloves. She held his scarf and put it around his neck, tucking it into his coat as he buttoned that up. "But don't take too long alright? I think I was getting bored with reading anyways," she added teasingly.

"Incentive to come back," Castle said, smiling at her. He then wrapped his arm around her tightly and pulled her against him before he crushed his lips to hers. He wasn't sure what spurred him to do that, just wanting to feel the rough throb of their mouths together as at that moment he was slowly slipping his tongue into his wife's mouth before hers was there to quickly meet him.

Holding on tightly to her husband's neck, Beckett tried her best to respond to him before he suddenly pulled away from her. She looked at him for only a moment before she was kissing him, holding onto him as tightly as she possibly could. When they broke away from one another again she said, "Stay, the case is over love."

Hesitating slightly, Castle groaned and said, "Really quickly. I'll talk to him as fast as I can and then come back here to you, I promise."

"Go," Beckett said, though she wasn't angry at all. She let go of him and followed him to the door, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. "Good luck with him."

"Yeah, I'll need it," Castle said wryly. He squeezed his wife's hand tightly before impulsively kissing the back of it telling her, "I love you Kate."

"I love you too Rick," Beckett said, smiling as he wrenched himself visibly from her and left.

Walking away from the cabin, Castle didn't allow himself to look back as he was sure his wife had gone back inside since it was freezing out. He pulled his scarf up over his mouth before he neared the point where he and Beckett had turned to go from the hotel to the cabin; their tracks still there though faint by then. It was then he heard a bird take off from the lake, looking to see that it was a huge Canadian goose, making him confused as he knew it should have been far south by then. Before he could track the bird's progress in the sky, he noticed something was wrong with the snow and furrowing his brow he made his way over to the strange colored snow.

When he was close enough to it, Castle saw it was a trail, starting a little bit down from the crossroads between the paths to the hotel, boathouse and the cabin. He then looked up at the boathouse itself and saw it was slightly open. Remembering the last time he'd heard of a door in that condition at the resort, he hurried past the puddles of amber liquid; gasoline; in the snow, opening the door. "Is anyone here?" he called when he was inside. He couldn't hear anything except for the sound of the water splashing underneath the boats, the nearest one to him moving a little more slowly than the others he could tell.

Going down a few steps when he'd reached them to the pier that was inside the boathouse, Castle spotted something before he heard a mechanical scraping type of noise. Looking in the direction of where it'd come from he saw the bomb with only ten seconds left on the clock affixed to it. At the sight of it he turned and ran. Ten seconds left and he was up the stairs in a frantic jump. Nine seconds and he was pulling the door open so hard it jerked off its hinges. Eight seconds left and he had one foot out in the snow that was halfway between his ankle and knee.

The explosion was loud, and Castle tried to run through the thick snow and snow that was falling again as the building behind him blew up. He'd somehow managed to leap over the white to keep from going the way of the boathouse, but just as he thought he'd managed to make it and would get to safety something struck him from behind. There was nothing he could do to escape the unconsciousness that took over his body and he was face down on the snow, debris hitting his back as he was motionless before something lifted him from the white that was littered with the remnants of the stone building while the interior began to burn.

* * *

Rinsing out her glass at the kitchen, Beckett looked up at the window in front of her and saw that at some point it had started to snow again. She frowned; wondering if that was going to slow Castle down coming back to the cabin. She was starting to regret letting him go, as she was unable to concentrate on her book after the kiss he'd planted on her as he'd been leaving. She bit her lower lip a little at the memory of that, setting the glass down in the sink to clean later before she reached into her pocket for her phone. She let out an annoyed sound from the back of her throat as she was able to easily see there was no reception still and she couldn't help but worry about Julia and Eliza; hoping Martha would be able to explain why they weren't able to call later that night. Thinking of them made her think of her husband again, and she looked up at the window, wondering if he would have much chance in getting anything from Hill.

Just as Beckett was considering the size of the snowfall that she could see to determine if she could head to the hotel to join Castle, there was an explosion that rocked her against the counter, making her hold onto it before she had realized what happened. Recovering quickly, she ran over to the front window and looking out she saw some smoke in the distance. Her heart in her throat, she ran up the stairs, wondering if it was the hotel. But in the bedroom, she was able to discern that the smoke wasn't coming from the hotel, but the boathouse.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Beckett ran back downstairs and threw on her shoes and outer layers to see if she could help in any way. She knew it more than likely that Castle was probably trying to do the same, wishing she could text him to let him know she was coming out so they could meet. It took her a little time to get to the ruins, seeing a crowd of people as some employees were trying to get lake water onto the flames of what little was left of the boathouse. She looked around then as some men were gathering around a pile of charred wood, trying to find Castle. When she didn't see him she asked a couple people around her, "Have you seen my husband?"

At the shakes of their heads Beckett started heading back to the hotel, trying to see if he was in lobby. She asked the same question to the people gathered at the door, looking out, but when no one could say they had, she hurried to the concierge. "Have you seen my husband?" she asked the woman there, her voice strained in her concern.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I haven't," the woman said, startled slightly at the sight of her.

"Did he ever come inside?" Beckett then said.

"I… I don't think so," the concierge told her, stammering a little.

Taking off at a run for the security office, Beckett pounded on the door and when Hagan opened it, looking irritated she asked, "Have you seen my husband in the hotel?"

"No, why?" the man asked angrily.

Beckett didn't bother to reply to that and instead she ran for the staff quarters behind the front desk, ignoring the concierge as the woman tried to stop her. She didn't see the other guests or even Morrissey that were still at the front doors looking out turn to her instead, focused on getting through the common room that had deserted with the explosion. She made it to the closet where Hill was being kept and nearly slid to a stop when she saw that Fraser wasn't at his post. She tried to convince herself that he was inside with Castle and she opened the door. But when she peered inside she nearly groaned in the disappointment of seeing Fraser on the floor, a nasty looking bump on the back of his head. "Fraser, wake up," she said, shaking his shoulder a little harder than she knew she should have; but she was desperate, needing to find her husband.

"Ugh, what happened?" the security guard asked as he slowly opened his eyes, turning over. "Where… where's Hill?"

"You should know, you were here watching him," Beckett said as she glanced over at the open window where she saw an open pair of handcuffs and a handcuff key were on the floor below it. "Was my husband here at all?"

"Who?" Fraser asked, looking over at the door as some people were walking up to it. He then looked at Beckett closely, as if seeing her for the first time, and said, "Him? No, haven't seen him."

"You were supposed to stay outside," Beckett then said slowly to him so he could understand her. "Why are you in the room?"

"There was a noise, I thought Hill was scooting the chair to the door and when I came inside I saw he was standing up… that's the last thing I remember," Fraser said slowly.

"Can someone contact the resort doctor?" Beckett asked the staff gathered at the door. When one of them nodded she ran to the security office again and asked Hagan; since the door was open, "Did you look for him?"

"I asked around and looked around," Hagan said, still sounding annoyed. "Asking I've got nothing and looking around I didn't get anything either. I don't know where your husband is ma'am."

Beckett felt a sense of anxiety come to her at that and then hurried back outside, having to push her way through the crowd that was still at the door before someone grabbed her arm. She nearly shoved away whoever it was when she looked up, seeing that it was Morrissey. "Let go, I need to find my husband," she told him.

"Come on," Morrissey said shortly as he led her outside. "I didn't see him, and I was in the lobby talking with the concierge about who might take over temporarily for Hill. Your husband didn't come inside."

"It sounds like Hill managed to lure Fraser into the room," Beckett started saying, sucking in a deep breath as they came out into the chill wind, the snow easing up but still falling. "And then hit him… or else he had a partner, you need to find out if everyone's accounted for now."

"Yeah, Oliver," Morrissey then called to a man who was following them. "Check on everyone on the staff. Get the list and take roll call."

"Use the walkie-talkies?" the manager asked.

"Yeah, get in touch with everyone," Morrissey said. "Use only the people you can trust."

"The guests-" Beckett started to say.

Reaching into his pocket, Morrissey pulled out a walkie-talkie and spoke to Hagan saying, "Make an announcement, get everyone in the building in the lobby, ballroom and conservatory. I need a count taken, to make sure all the guests are here." After Hagan agreed to that, he yelled to the people who were close to the boathouse and not part of the resort staff, "For safety's sake people we need to get you inside and make sure all of you are here. Go inside please!"

Beckett was surprised when people glanced at the man before they left, going back to the hotel. But she wasn't too surprised when a lot of them looked at the fire which was nearly out. She started to walk forward to help, when Morrissey grabbed her by the elbow.

"Better you don't," the owner told her.

Getting her arm away from his grip, Beckett hurried through the snow to their left, going around the side of the hotel, looking to see if she could spot her husband. But she didn't see any new tracks in the snow, or any figure in a black coat. She was desperate and as she pulled her phone out of her pocket she walked around the building, making her way through the snow. While she was doing that she tried calling him, not surprised when the phone wouldn't even dial, it just went straight to voicemail. She soon came to the doors to the root cellar and throwing them open she used the flashlight app on her phone, stepping down inside it.

"Rick?" Beckett called, her light not enough to see to the other side of the cellar. She stayed quiet then, trying to hear something that might let her know her husband was there. But when she heard nothing she made a quick sweep, shining the light down on the ground, dreading to see him laying there unconcious. She wasn't sure if she was relieved to find nothing there in the end and she headed up the stairs back outside, slamming the doors closed behind her and she continued on around the hotel, seeing in the conservatory some of the guests gathered there, watching her.

Looking back and forth as far in the distance as she could through the trees Beckett kept glancing at the snow, trying to find any signs of tracks there. But there were none, until she reached the tiny window where Hill had been kept. There were some footprints there, and a trail leading away. She followed them around until they disappeared through the woods at the back of the hotel. She made a note of them, reminding herself to tell the staff when she reached them again as she decided to leave it to them to follow them. She continued back around the building until she came to the front again and saw that the fire at the ruins of the boathouse looked to have been extinguished.

Going as quickly as she could, Beckett reached Morrissey and told him, "I found one set of footprints at the window of the closet. They go out into the woods you need to have someone follow them, it was probably Hill."

"And an accomplice?" Morrissey asked.

"They could have walked right behind, hiding there were two of them," Beckett replied. "And you need to look at security footage of the hall to see if an accomplice came in through the door instead of outside."

"We will," Morrissey said. "Excuse me," he told her before one of the men in the ruins gestured to him.

Beckett wanted to follow him but didn't want to risk being taken inside the hotel with the other guests. She saw the owner take something from the man who gestured him over, watching as Morrissey walked over to her. "What is it?" she asked. "Is there a body?" feeling her heart thudding sickly in her chest as he wasn't quite meeting her gaze.

"Have you seen this at all on anyone here?" Morrissey asked, holding up a piece of fabric.

Opening her mouth to reply, Beckett paused as she stared at the blue, green and white plaid, but finally told him, "That's my husband's scarf." And with that she ran past him, nearly falling as the owner tried to grab her.

"No, Ms. Beckett, don't!" Morrissey said as she got past him and went to where the cluster of men was.

"Move, I need to see if it's him," Beckett nearly yelled as two men blocked her view.

"How tall was your husband ma'am?" a man next to the burnt remains of a boat asked.

"He was six-two, what does that have…" Beckett said as she was able to see for an instant between the two men that there was a badly burned body of a tall man. "Where did you find that piece of fabric?" she asked as the man who'd asked her how tall Castle was turned away from her.

"Around his neck and under the coat he was wearing, more around the bottom of the boat," Morrissey said from behind her as the two men moved as Beckett pushed them away from her so she could see the body more clearly. "I'm sorry Ms. Beckett but… that is your husband."


	10. That Which You Can Not Recall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Flying Hour written by George Harrison and Mick Ralphs and sung by George, from the original rejected track listing of George's album Somewhere in England.

The snow giving way underfoot as her legs tread through it made no noise, at least none that she could hear as the building appeared in front of her. She walked, not realizing that she was becoming numb as her fingers fumbled at the door before she got inside. Leaning back against it Beckett looked around waiting breathlessly, hoping in the silence.

"Rick?" she whispered, looking up at the second floor through the slight gap she saw in the stairs. She strode over to it, running up until she found herself in an empty bedroom. She had stopped on the second stair, and she nearly collapsed as she held onto the railing as if for dear life, reality striking her hard enough to leave her gasping for air.

Beckett couldn't recall what had happened after she had seen the body; she guessed that Morrissey had drawn her away from it when he'd seen her recognizing it as her husband's, leading her back to the cabin before she guessed she'd pushed the man away. She cringed as she could recall her cursing at the man to leave her alone as he tried to follow her, blaming him for her husband's death. It was then she remembered she hadn't seen every last inch of the cabin and she raced down to the bathroom; her last hope.

But flinging open the door, there was no one inside and it was then Beckett couldn't deny what had happened. She had lost him, she had lost Castle. She then staggered to the couch but didn't quite make it, falling on her knees on the floor as she couldn't breathe, clutching her chest as the tears began to course down her face before she could stop them. They were warm against her still chilled skin, two trails that burned a path down over her cheeks. She finally broke down as she heard a sob that she realized had come from her and covered her face with her hands.

But before she could lose herself in her tears, Beckett tried the best she could to stop, standing back up as she reached into her pocket. Withdrawing her phone she dialed her husband's number but there was nothing on the other end, making her nod once before she smiled mirthlessly and then felt herself crying yet again. He was gone.

She tried to walk toward the stairs not sure what else to do but as she went Beckett suddenly tore off her scarf, feeling like it was strangling her. Her gloves and coat were given the same treatment and she nearly went to the kitchen, seeing the bottle of wine on the counter still; thinking she could numb herself to what she was facing. But she paused and breathed out once before going to the table, taking the chair that was facing away from it. She looked around the cabin and it was then that reality intruded on her misery as she remembered something. ' _I have to go home to them, to Julia and Eliza… tell them their father is dead…_ ' she thought to herself, feeling the tears flow harder down her face as she couldn't face the idea. She covered her mouth as another sob escaped it and she couldn't stop thinking of what losing Castle _meant_.

' _I'm alone, I have to go through the rest of my life without him_ ,' Beckett thought. She looked at the couch and the armchair and the pain was a hollow feeling within her chest, making her again gasp for air as she couldn't seem to stop crying. "Without everything he gave me…" she murmured suddenly, nearly jumping at the sound of her voice which was hoarse and sounded horrible to her ears. She told herself to get up to go back outside, but she knew if she went to the hotel she would have nothing but the sympathetic gazes of her fellow guests, none of them able to help her get Castle back since nothing could be done to accomplish that. She stood up then and forced herself up to the bedroom, deciding that she needed to leave and to take her husband home. But halfway up the stairs she was reminded of her mother's funeral, everything her father had gone through laying his wife to rest. She stumbled down on a step, her hand going to her chest once more as she couldn't stop the tears that escaped her eyes. She had promised herself she was never going to go through that again; and yet she had to, had to take her husband's body home and lay him to rest, losing him completely in doing that.

And it was with that Beckett realized why it felt like there was a stabbing pain in her chest that had nothing to do with the scar from her shooting. It felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her, even as she was trying to tell herself she was being absurd. But there was no better way to describe to raw ache that wasn't going away. She knew why the reason for that was; she had given so much of herself to Castle, had gladly let herself put so much into their relationship that it felt as if there was nothing left within her. She shook her head as she managed to stand, again telling herself that she was out of her mind thinking that way. But it was impossible to try and argue against because what she was feeling she had little chance of disproving. She went back down the stairs, not sure where she could go in the small cabin that wasn't going to have a memory of him.

While Beckett was leaning against the back of the couch, she reached up and touched her aquamarine pendant and shook her head catching sight of her engagement ring and wedding band. Seeing those, she sat down on the floor as it was a painful reminder of her husband and she had the macabre thought that she would be burying him while he still wore his band. As she leaned against the couch behind her she suddenly remembered Julia and Eliza again, recalling Castle with them, the great father that he'd been. The idea of her two girls losing that in their lives made her breath uneven and it was a rough struggle with herself to keep from breaking down yet again. Looking up at the ceiling she couldn't help remind herself about Martha and Alexis, having to tell them their son and father was gone. Her elbows on her knees she put her forehead in her hands and couldn't stop the groan escaping her lips of, "I can't do this… not alone Rick…"

That seemed to shake her as she hated feeling sorry for herself and Beckett made a mad dash for her coat. She was ready to run back to the boathouse as she realized she could do one thing at the very least to forget the pain remaining in her chest. But throwing open the door she was stopped short by the snow, whirling thickly in the heavy wind, looking like it was on its way to becoming a blizzard. She raised her foot to step out but paused, thinking of herself being found by the resort staff frozen next to where her husband's body had been discovered and her children left orphans because she had acted so rashly; without thinking of them. So she went back inside, but as tossed her coat in the closet she reached for the large piece of paper she and Castle had used at first as a murder board and she took it to the table, spreading it out. She didn't want to end up spending the rest of her life trying to find her husband's killer, but she needed that distraction from her grief and the nearly unknown of her future without Castle.

The cabin was soon filled with the sound of her writing on the paper and for a time Beckett's mind was lost in what she had of their case. But when she came to the point where Hill had escaped with the help of a partner and the destruction of the boathouse, she couldn't move the sharpie. She set it down and went to the kitchen, looking out the window. The wind rattled against it, blowing the snow over it and she knew she was stranded until the next day. But as she ignored the bottle of wine again for a bottle of water she was determined to continue the investigation as she needed anything to get her mind off of that night and facing it alone as she reminisced about hers and Castle's lovemaking the night before. Dashing a tear away from her cheek at the memory and a few others that she allowed without realizing to run through her mind, Beckett went back to the table. She began the only thing she knew would protect her from pain; work; the pen starting to move again across the white, as if that would banish the echo of her husband that was all around her in that room.

* * *

The shiver that ran through him made him open his eyes, but as soon as he had he let out a groan, wishing he hadn't done that as it made his head pound roughly in pain. He reached up with his right hand, feeling the bump on the back of his head through his hair. It was then he started to move his left arm, but heard the clink of metal on metal. Glancing down at his wrist, he wondered why he had a handcuff on it and why he was somewhere it was so obviously cold, pulling his coat tighter around him as a gust of wind rattled the windows of the shack he found himself in. When he saw that the other end of the handcuff was attached to a bed; bolted to the floor; he looked around himself, and took the time he obviously had to take stock of the situation.

And it was then he realized he had no idea who he was, as he couldn't remember where he was and why he was somewhere where it was snowing. He tried to recall his name, but all he got was silence in his mind, no internal dialogue telling him the answer. He knew he was in trouble but before he could panic something made him calm down. He breathed in and out a few times and understood that he'd tried to mediate before. "At least that's one thing," he said, shaking his head. He hissed as he did that a little too hard and his head pounded again. "Okay, so I'm here and it's… late," he said aloud, looking out the window nearest to him and seeing the darkness outside. He saw some snow was suddenly blown against the pane and said, "And there's a blizzard?"

His stomach growling then confirmed that it was late since he was hungry and he looked around but didn't really see anything by the way of provisions in the bare shack. He then patted the pockets of his coat and felt something hard and then something that made a plastic, crackling noise. He reached the plastic first, pulling out what looked like maple sugar formed into a leaf. He frowned as he turned it over, seeing that the item was made in Canada. "So I'm… Canadian?" he said aloud, but it didn't feel right, though he couldn't explain why. "Hopefully that means I'll get my memory back," he said as he started to open the package.

As he was doing that he felt like he'd been hit as he remembered someone slipping the package into his pocket though he didn't know when. "She didn't want it…" he began. "She gave it to me… who's she?" He thought he might have a girlfriend, but then saw the silver wedding band on his finger. "Oh no, she's looking for me I bet," he said, though he had no clue who on earth the 'she' was he did know was that he was married. He tried to squeeze his hand out of the handcuff but there was no possible way that was going to happen. He tucked the maple sugar cake into his pocket and tried to move the bed with no luck, the bolts were new. "Where the hell am I?" he asked, trying to look around for a tool, though of course there were none, nor was there anything he could fashion into a tool.

Slumped against the side of the bed he ate half of the hard cake, knowing it wasn't going to do much to sustain him but he was more worried about finding out who he was than anything else. And since he only had two things he could do; wallow in self pity before he froze to death or stay awake and regain his memory hopefully; he decided to try to figure himself out. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the other item that had been in the pocket, and saw it was a phone. "Great," he said eagerly as he tried to open it. But with the screen staying on he was more hopeful that he would have enough battery power to find something on that phone that would clue him in.

He then thought of a wallet, that would definitely let him know who he was, and he began to feel around his pockets the best he could with one hand. But a search turned up nothing and he realized whoever had handcuffed him had likely taken it. Frustrated that that had been taken away from him, he waited for his phone to turn on and slid his finger across the screen to find the cover of a book. He looked at the name at the bottom and saw it read Richard Castle. "Is that me?" he asked himself. He wasn't sure why else he'd have a book cover on the home page unless that was him. "Richard Castle," he tried, but shook his head as it didn't ring a bell. "Though unlikely I'll remember just like that," he said. "So Richard it is until someone tells me something else… hope they don't call me Dick."

Richard paused for a moment before he opened anything on the phone, trying to figure out what he should do first. "Obviously, the gallery…" he said, not minding that he was talking to himself. He opened the gallery app and saw four folders, tiny preview pictures in them that he couldn't make out. But he saw he had a lot of pictures in each one, and he frowned before deciding on the one that was labeled R&K. "So my name has to be that," he said as he tapped on it.

The sight of the woman in the pictures was like a rough jolt, and he murmured, "Kate… so you're my wife," before he looked at his wedding ring again. He looked at each picture in turn, seeing they were all selfies with his wife. He couldn't help smile at some of them, thinking that the Richard Castle he'd been before the memory loss was a lucky man since it looked like they were pretty deeply in love. "Wasn't always that way though," he said before he paused, wondering why he'd said that. Shaking his head, he came to the end of the folder and paused at the very last picture, of him and Kate in front of a body of water with some snow on the ground in the background. "Is this where I am now?" he asked though his wife obviously wasn't going to answer him.

All of a sudden, Richard went to his contacts, seeing that Kate was at the top of the list, letting him know finally that yes, she was his wife for sure. He tried calling her, but the phone just went straight to voicemail and he looked at the window, cursing the blizzard. But as he went back to the gallery he wondered if he wanted to do that to her; go to her without knowing who she was, who he himself was. He refrained the urge to shake his head at that thought and quickly decided to go to the other folder which he'd labeled Kids. "I have kids," he said, frowning then as he hoped they didn't know he was missing. The first picture was of a redheaded young woman but he couldn't get anything from seeing it. Only that she was his oldest, and she wasn't his and Kate's child. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, I'll know who you are," he said guiltily as he went to the next picture. He froze and it was as if he was seeing a movie, the images going with the picture of Kate, a child about six years old with reddish brown hair and green eyes leaning against her and a baby that had very dark hair in his wife's arms vivid suddenly in his mind.

* * *

_"What is it?" Castle asked as he came up to his wife who was looking out the window._

_"Julia," Beckett replied with a smile, nodding at the chez lounge where their oldest daughter was._

_Looking out, Castle saw that Julia was twirling a hibiscus flower around in her fingers, trying to keep her baby sister from grabbing it at the same time. He couldn't help laugh as they could hear Eliza's squeal as she tried to get the bright pink flower. "Think we should go out?" he asked his wife._

_"More than likely," Beckett said. "Julia's going to want to know if we can go down to the beach." She followed him outside; smiling when Julia pointed them out to her sister and the nearly eight month old baby got her hand on the flower. "Here sweetie," she said calmly to Eliza, taking the flower out of her hand as she picked her up at the same time. She kissed the baby before she could start to cry and gave the flower back to Julia._

_"Julia," Castle said suddenly, having been watching them. He gestured her over to him and whispered to her before the little girl took off for the side of the house. "What?" he asked, seeing his wife was watching him._

_"Nothing, I'm going to head down to the beach," Beckett replied as she started to reach for Eliza's hat on the table between the two chairs. She was a little surprised when Castle grabbed it and she gave him a look._

_"Hold on," Castle said before they could hear Julia coming back. "Did you find them?"_

_"Yeah, like you said Daddy," the little girl replied, another hibiscus that was white tucked behind her ear. She then handed a yellow flower to her mother saying, "That's for Eliza."_

_"Thank you, but-" Beckett started to say when Castle suddenly took it and tucked it behind the baby's ear._

_"And this is for you Mommy," Julia said, to keep her from trying to take the flower. She handed her some frangipani flowers and said, "For your ear too like us."_

_"You know I was wondering if you were going to take the picture here since we found out it was actually in Antigua and not Jamaica," Beckett told her husband as she saw he had a camera._

_"Good thing we checked," Castle said as he took the lounge out into the sun, turning it so they could sit comfortably on it. "Ready?"_

_"I think so," Beckett said as she sat with Eliza on her lap and Julia at her side. She looked at the camera as Castle told them to hold still and heard him taking more than one shot; since the baby was moving already on her lap. She was going to move when he put down the camera but was startled when he took another picture, that time with his phone. "Now you're ready?" she asked as he stood._

_"All set," Castle said, about to help his wife stand. He was taken aback when she gave him Eliza and said, "Do-"_

_"Sit," Beckett said quickly and with a smile._

_"Daddy doesn't get flowers?" Julia asked with a smile._

_"Not this time," Castle said, wrapping his arm around her as the little girl pressed her cheek against him, looking at the camera Beckett was holding. Just before the shutter went off, he leaned down, pressing his lips to Eliza's head, the baby tilting her head up at the exact same time._

_Taking a picture with Castle's phone, Beckett looked at the screen of her camera and smiled when she saw how it'd come out. She looked at her husband as she felt someone coming up to her and she wordlessly showed him the camera before giving him his phone. While he was looking at them both she waited a moment and then put her hand on his cheek, turning his face to hers. Kissing him deeply, she forgot for a moment about their daughters, though she knew that Julia would watch Eliza._

_Smiling at the sight of their parents kissing, the little girl tensed as she watched her mother's camera nearly fall in Castle's hand but luckily he held onto it tight enough that it stayed where it was. She smiled at Eliza then and cried out, "Lizzy no!" as the baby was trying to put the flower she'd taken from behind her ear into her mouth._

_Startled apart by that, Castle and Beckett broke their kiss before they saw that Julia was pulling the yellow flower away from Eliza. When the baby began to whimper, Beckett hurried over and took her from her sister._

_"Shh, it's okay, you know you're not supposed to eat those," Beckett said, trying to soothe her daughter._

_"Can we go swimming now?" Julia asked as she took her flower out from behind her ear. "Can I take that to dry and keep Mommy?" she asked before her mother could answer her question._

_"Go ahead," Beckett said with a smile as she handed her the flowers behind her ear. She pressed a kiss to Eliza's temple when she saw Castle was coming out with their towels and the umbrella that his friend had for the beach; since it was his friend's house they were staying in for their week in Antigua. She went to the stairs, going down to the private beach, hearing Eliza gurgling and then cooing. She smiled again hearing that and when she reached the sand she waited for her husband to get the umbrella set up as she watched Julia come down the stairs with a bag of her beach toys._

_"Can I go out?" Julia asked after her father had set out a blanket in the shade._

_"Hold on, I'll go with you," Castle said as he took off his shirt and then went to Julia, taking her hand before they went into the clear blue water. As the little girl was jumping up and down, splashing, he looked back at Beckett, watching as she was helping Eliza stand up. He smiled at the sight of the baby sitting down a little hard before his wife picked her up. "Kate," he called to her then._

_"We're coming," Beckett said, standing up and carrying Eliza down to the water. She felt her squirming in her arms and hurried the rest of the way to her husband before she handed their youngest over to him. "I guess she wanted to swim too," she said._

_"I'll swim with her," Julia said eagerly, hurrying to her father and holding her arms up to him._

_"Luckily she doesn't seem to mind us handing her off between us," Castle commented with a smile as he gave Eliza to her. "Think you can watch her for us?" he asked the little girl as he and Beckett watched her walk to the point where the water washed up on the shore, sitting with Eliza._

_"Yeah, we'll stay here, it's fun, huh?" Julia asked her little sister. When Eliza could only babble as she peered up at her, smiling, she looked over at her parents and said, "She said yeah."_

_"We'll take your word for it," Beckett replied laughingly. "We won't take too long." When Julia didn't say anything in reply to her, she said, "Stay with her," though she knew her oldest would. She then turned with Castle and they walked into the water together until they could jump in and they went under at the same time before resurfacing. She turned with her husband to the shore and they checked on their daughters before they waved. After they could see Julia waving back, she took off diving beneath the water. She wondered why she'd forgotten to bring the mask and snorkel Castle had bought for her in Jamaica when they'd been there, but shook that off as she reemerged a little ways away._

_"What?" Castle asked as he came back up from his quick dive to see his wife looking over at the shore. "They're fine," he told her, seeing her gaze was on Julia and Eliza._

_"No, I'm heading back for my mask," Beckett told him._

_"Oh, good idea, I'll go with you," Castle said. He followed her underneath the water and when they reached the shallower waters said, "Going to take Eliza in further?"_

_"When we're finished diving, actually, I should say when I'm finished diving with Julia," Beckett said, looking at her husband._

_"Great, I can spend some time with Eliza," Castle said._

_"You finished already?" Julia said in slight dismay._

_"No," Beckett replied with a smile. "Why you wanted us to stay out longer?"_

_"Yeah, so I can play with my sister," Julia insisted. "We're okay, I can watch her."_

_"We know, we're just going to go snorkeling for a little bit," Beckett replied. "I'll take you out once we're done," she said before the little girl could ask._

_Going back into the water with their things, Castle let his wife go first while he kept an eye on their daughters._

_Looking around under them, Beckett could see a few fish below, and she took a breath before ducking under. She went down as close to the bottom as she could before she swam along a little, taking a quick look at the fish swimming around in front of her before surfacing. "Go ahead," she told her husband with a smile._

_"It's nice?" Castle asked with a smile._

_"It's great," Beckett replied. She was surprised when instead of going down; he grabbed her, pulling her to him. "Did you even want to dive?" she asked, smirking at him slightly._

_"I will, just give me this at least," Castle told her simply before kissing her. He kept it very simple though and after they had parted he put on his diving mask and placed the snorkel in his mouth before he ducked under the water immediately, doing the same as he'd seen Beckett do, swim down close to the bottom and then further forward as far as he could go before going back up._

_After taking turns doing that, Castle swam back and sat with Eliza while Julia was getting her swimming vest, mask, snorkel and flippers. "Have fun," he told her with a smile as he could see how excited she was in the way she jumped over the waves next to them._

_"I will, sorry Eliza," Julia told her sister since she'd splashed them._

_"Hey, how about an apology for me too?" Castle said, teasing her. "Oof, apology accepted," he said with a laugh as she threw herself at him._

_"Julia, sweetie, come on!" Beckett called from the water._

_"I'll be back," the little girl said, kissing her sister's cheek. She ran into the water, and followed her mother deeper before they started to swim._

_Hearing Eliza babbling, Castle picked her up and kissed her, holding her on his lap as the baby turned her head down to a floating dolphin that Julia had brought to the water. Handing it to her, he watched as his wife and their oldest popped back up out of the water, and he heard Eliza's shrill giggle, thinking she'd seen them. But looking down at her he saw that she was only reacting to the toy that squirted water out of its mouth when it was squeezed._

_When they came back to the shore, Beckett wasn't surprised to see Castle waiting for them as she and Julia put their stuff back on the sand before they all walked into the sea. "You're lucky your phone's waterproof," she said with a slight smirk, seeing it was in his hand._

_"I know, but I wasn't planning on going underwater," Castle said as he watched Julia duck under before she popped back up in front of them._

_"Are they back yet?" the little girl then asked._

_"Not yet, you heard them, they were going to find a market to get things to make dinner tonight," Castle said, since she was talking about the others who were there with them._

_"Did you want to go with them?" Beckett asked._

_"No, but I wanted to go swimming with ," Julia said, going over to Eliza. She patted her sister's cheeks and asked, "You want to too huh?" She giggled when the baby only babbled at that, turning her head back and forth in response._

_"What does that mean?" Beckett asked as she took Eliza._

_"Just that she wants to swim, even if she has to be held by us," Julia said._

_"I don't blame her," Castle said. "I think we have two water children love."_

_"That's not bad right?" Julia asked as she dog paddled around her mother, seeing Eliza was watching her as she went. When she was behind Beckett, she waited as she could hear her little sister babble before she jumped out behind her, making the baby shriek with laughter. "Did I scare you?" she asked, pressing a kiss to Eliza's lips._

_"I think she was more surprised," Castle said with amusement as he watched them. "Come here sweetheart," he told her, picking her up as she swam to him. "Have you been having fun?"_

_"Here?" Julia asked, watching as Beckett ducked down in the water, bringing Eliza up to her neck in the blue sea._

_"Yeah," Castle said, watching with a smile as Eliza waved her arms under the water; the same as she did back at home._

_"Yeah, I love going where Paul did, he had fun too," Julia said. "But I'm glad I'm with you and Mommy and Eliza." She then cried out as her father ducked down so they were even with Beckett and her little sister before continuing saying, "And , and ."_

_"Okay, then part of my objective is complete," Castle commented, glancing at his wife; not surprised to see her giving him a look at that. "You Kate?"_

_"Yes, I'm having a great time," Beckett said in a mockingly defeated tone of voice. "Now Julia, Rick," she told them as she stood up._

_"Yes?" the two asked at the same time._

_Smiling at that and the expressions on their faces as they looked at her, Beckett said, "I need to take Eliza up for a nap, so you two can stay here."_

_"I think we should take her too," Castle commented, looking at Julia._

_"I don't…" Julia started to say before she slumped a little. "Can we come back out and swim?"_

_"I'll let you go with your sister down here while we're cooking dinner," Beckett said. "And after dinner we'll go into the pool."_

_"Kay," Julia said eagerly as she followed her parents up to the sand. They left the umbrella and blankets there since they'd be needed the rest of their week there and she looked back at it before her father's phone suddenly appeared in front of her._

_"I can see the look in your eyes, just like your mother," Castle said, a smile on his face._

_"_ Thank you _!" Julia said in Irish with a giggle before she took a picture of the beach._

_"Come on you two," Beckett called from the top of the stairs as Eliza was rubbing her eye for a few seconds. When they'd joined her she led the way into the house and to the room that the girls were sharing. She let Castle and Julia kiss the baby goodnight before she did the same and put her in the crib and after her husband had closed the shutters they went with their oldest to her bed, kissing her before they left._

_"You know I keep being amazed by you," Castle told his wife as they walked out to the two chez lounges with a speaker for the baby monitor in the room in his hand._

_"How?" Beckett asked, smiling at that._

_"You with our daughters, you as a mother," Castle said, quickly adding the last. "I always knew you were going to be a great mother and you have to know I love you for that," he said as he sat down in his lounge chair. "Oh, hey, what…" he started to say when she sat down on his lap and immediately kissed him. He held her closely as he blindly set the baby monitor speaker on the table next to them, kissing her back as deeply as he could, feeling her thanks to him in the feel of her lips. He tried to reinforce his words to her as they came together for another kiss, not sure if he could do that, but not hesitating to try his best as they became a little lost in one another._

* * *

Groaning as he realized his memory had gaps in it, Richard thought for a second about what he could remember of that trip. He knew there were more people, because it had been mentioned, but who it was, he couldn't think of. He then remembered the first picture in his gallery and knew it had to be her, his oldest daughter out of his three. But he still couldn't recall her name and he said a hurried apology to her, whatever her name was. He finally looked down at the screen, at the picture of his wife and their two daughters, smiling at the sight of them looking into the camera. "You're trying to make us just like Paul and Linda," he suddenly said. His brow furrowing when he understood what he'd said, Richard tried to remember who had said that and guessed it was his wife.

Since he couldn't evoke any more memories with that picture he went to the next one in the folder, seeing it was the one Kate had taken of him with their daughters. He smiled, seeing himself with his girls, remembering that he did call them that. Richard went on through the rest of the folder seeing more pictures of his wife with their daughters before he came to one with Eliza standing in front of her sister, a little video camera icon in the corner. Guessing it was a movie he tapped it and watched as the baby; about a year old he thought; started to take her first steps. Hearing the sounds of his wife, both their daughters and himself, the memories came back to him in a rush and he could remember how it had been. It was cooler, so winter, but not decorated for the holidays, so he guessed it was likely after New Year's. He was distracted by Eliza babbling a little until she fell into her mother's arms and more was coming to him suddenly.

* * *

_"Oh Mommy, Daddy, did you see!" Julia cried as she rushed across the family room, kissing her little sister's cheek. "She walked!"_

_"We did," Castle said, stopping the video on his phone. He went over to Beckett who had taken Eliza and Julia to the couch before he knelt in front of them._

_"Can we help you love?" Beckett asked with a smile as she watched him take her hand._

_"No, not really," Castle replied simply before he handed her his phone, letting her watch the clip while he tickled the bottom of Eliza's feet._

_"You have talent Rick," Beckett teased him as she let Julia take the phone from her and freed her hand from his. She pulled on it until he was sitting with her and said, "Go to your daddy sweetie."_

_"Dada… ba…" Eliza said enthusiastically as she patted Castle's cheek._

_"That means she's happy she's walking now," Julia commented, looking over at them. "And now she wants to run with me all over the place."_

_"And here comes the exercise," Castle told his wife teasingly after he'd kissed Eliza's cheek._

_"We're not to that point yet," Beckett said as she took back the phone and took a picture of the two before taking a quick selfie with Julia._

_"What are you doing now Mommy?" the little girl asked._

_"Sending this to your , Alexis and your ," Beckett told her with a smile. "We'll be getting some calls in a little bit."_

_"Excited calls," Castle said with a smile as Eliza was holding onto his chin and giggling. "Especially from my ."_

_"Most likely," Beckett replied. "Why don't we play a game until they call?"_

_"I'll get it!" Julia said eagerly. Before she could jump down from the couch though, her mother held her back and she shared a kiss with her before she went to her father and did the same with him. She tried to kiss her sister, when she gripped her nose._

_"I think I've been playing that game with you too much," Castle said with a heavy laugh as he managed to get Eliza's hand off of Julia. "Go ahead," he said before suddenly the baby's tiny hand was gripping his nose. "Love?" he asked her._

_"I don't know if I want to try, she might start crying," Beckett said in amusement as she watched them._

_"Can we see if she walks again Mommy?" Julia suddenly said as she neared them._

_"I think so," Castle said as he got off of the couch._

_"You just want her to let go of your nose," Beckett teased him as she followed._

_"Maybe," Castle said wryly, getting on his knees as he helped Eliza stand._

_"Come here Lizzy, come here and see what game I picked," Julia said cajolingly._

_Eliza stared at her sister for a moment, not realizing that she and their parents were all watching her with bated breath. She finally laughed shortly and then with a serious expression on her face, started to take awkward steps to Julia, but never made it all the way, falling before she got too far from her father._

_"Oh, good try," Castle said, scooping her up quickly before he kissed her cheek in case she started to cry._

_"Mama," Eliza said, reaching for her mother with one hand opening and closing._

_Having filmed that second attempt, Beckett quickly sent it off before she went to Castle, taking their daughter from her._

_"Ah, and the phone calls have begun," Castle said, seeing the number was from_

* * *

"Alexis," Richard said as he had finally remembered the name of his daughter. "Alexis," he repeated when he came to a selfie with her. He nodded and then shook his head as he didn't remember much else about her. He took a deep breath and then came to a picture of him, his wife and Julia. Eliza wasn't in the picture, but when he took notice of Kate, he realized why; she was still pregnant with their youngest in it. He went back to the folder with pictures of just him and his wife, and came to another, which he felt like he should remember where he was in it.

The background was of the ocean, and Kate had her arms around him tightly as he was kissing her. She had her left hand to the camera very obviously, and Richard remembered very suddenly; it had been for their one month anniversary, the memories from that day flooding into his mind.

* * *

_"What's this for?" Beckett asked in surprise as she looked at the bouquet of flowers that were slid over the table in front of her._

_"You don't remember what today is?"Castle asked her incredulously._

_"I do, but I wasn't sure you'd remember," Beckett said, sniffing at the coral colored roses._

_"Hey, you… oh, you're kidding, thanks," Castle said, pretending to be annoyed that she'd done that. "Happy one month."_

_"One month?" Beckett couldn't help saying in amusement._

_"One month of marriage, anniversary, whatever you want to call it," Castle replied. He took her hand and kissed it tenderly before grasping it in his saying, "It's hard to believe it's been a month."_

_"It did go by pretty quickly," Beckett agreed. "What are your plans with this Rick?" she asked teasingly as she waved the roses back and forth once._

_"Oh, that's up to you," Castle said, letting go of her hand to place it on top of his wife's stomach, though since she was just barely three and a half months there was still no difference in the shape of it. "But I hope you'll allow me to treat you to lunch at The White Narrows."_

_"Let me get my shoes," Beckett said quickly in response to that question._

_Following her as she went to the front door, Castle said, "I swear I didn't pick that color for later, I just picked it because you know… we tend to have desire and passion between the two of us, sometimes."_

_"And last night?" Beckett asked when she had her boots on, raising an eyebrow at him._

_"Touché," Castle conceded though he'd wanted to hear her say that. He took her hand and led her out to his car which was already turned around and ready to go._

_"So you planned this," Beckett said in amusement._

_"Of course," Castle told her. "But for our one year anniversary, I think I'll plan with you what to do."_

_"That'll be nice," Beckett said, hoping her voice didn't sound a little reticent as she spoke. She took Castle's hand as they were heading out to the restaurant, looking at Julia's school that they passed on the way._

_"She'll be at lunch too right now," Castle commented._

_"I know, I just hope she's making a friend at least," Beckett said, smiling then as she recalled taking their daughter to her new school two weeks before. Her attention was distracted when they arrived at the restaurant and she shook her head as she watched Castle hurry around to open the door for her._

_Their lunch was quiet as with it being fall there were less people there and Castle and Beckett were able to talk without worrying about anyone overhearing them while they ate._

_As they were splitting dessert Castle studied his wife and then said, "You okay love?"_

_"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine, this crème brûlée-" Beckett started to say._

_"No, something's bothering you," Castle said, looking at her closely to make sure she wouldn't try to deflect with him._

_"I…" Beckett started to say before she paused. "Why don't we talk at home?" she asked as their waitress was coming over with the bill._

_Nodding, Castle paid for their meal and then took Beckett back home where they went out together to the beach, walking on the sand as he waited for her to begin. After a while he got the feeling that she wasn't going to talk, about to start himself, when she abruptly began._

_"Are you going to be like this every month?" Beckett asked him._

_"Not really, why, do you want me to?" Castle asked._

_"I just am worried about you doing something every month on the seventeenth," Beckett told him. "It would get repetitive and I'm sure on your nerves and I don't want that to happen."_

_"Don't worry, I just wanted to celebrate a month, because that's a pretty big milestone," Castle assured her. "After that, I'm looking forward to celebrating each year. And that also gives me more time to think up a great gift for you," he told her with a slight grin._

_"And you know you don't need to," Beckett said, shaking her head._

_"But I'd like to, just for one day," Castle said. "And luckily," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I have some help deciding what to do."_

_"What help?" Beckett asked, studying him._

_"There are two lists of anniversary gifts," Castle said. When he saw his wife was just looking at him, slightly perplexed he couldn't help laugh slightly before he told her, "You'll see when we get to a year."_

_"Okay, though you realize you don't need to entice me to stay married to you," Beckett joked._

_"No, but reminding you why you're married to me will be interesting to do," Castle said._

_Stopping and turning to him, Beckett said, "And why am I married to you?"_

_For a moment Castle was a little taken aback by that until he realized why she'd said it and smiled. "Well, for starters I'm a great guy, ruggedly handsome, good father too."_

_"That's it?" Beckett asked. She wasn't too surprised when her husband looked startled again, and she leaned into him to whisper, "Great lover too."_

_"The most important thing," Castle teased her. When she rolled her eyes he leaned down, taking her lips with his before they kissed deeply as she seemed to recover quickly and was even with him. He carefully slipped his tongue into her mouth and as they were fighting each other a little delicately he ran his hand over her hair until they needed to breathe. "Just so you know," he told her, fishing into his pocket suddenly. "I won't get tired of you."_

_"And how do you know that?" Beckett asked in amusement._

_"You're a great wife; and remember I have some experience with that," Castle said. "Devastatingly gorgeous-"_

_"Devastatingly?" Beckett asked, outright laughing as she spoke._

_"I mean what I say; a great mother…" there Castle trailed off his he put his arm back around her waist to lay it on her stomach. "And also as great a lover as I am."_

_Beckett shook her head at that, though she was blushing faintly at the compliment, and she said, "Then we're pretty good together."_

_"Another thing that we're good at together," Castle told her before he showed her his phone._

_Smiling, Beckett took the selfie with him, nodding when she saw the screen saying, "Alright, you have a point. But I was hoping you were talking about something else."_

_"Such as?" Castle started to ask even as his wife was taking his hand, pulling him back home._

* * *

Remembering his two ex-wives, Richard realized that he was insanely lucky Kate hadn't used that against him in not marrying him; though didn't know why he thought that exactly. He couldn't think of their names though, or much else besides some arguing and frustration with the marriages. But he knew Alexis had come from his first marriage, so that wasn't something that was a pain to remember about his life before Kate. "When did I meet her though," he said aloud, recalling something very vague about a party. But that was as far as his memory went and he hoped he would at the very least remember when he and Kate first met, wanting to recollect that moment. Going through the next few pictures he saw that some of them had them with their daughters and he had a niggling feeling there was something he had with his family he hadn't before.

Thinking, he had to wonder if his mother was still alive; he thought she might be, as in his memories the gaps made him think he had his mother and Kate might have her parents. But with that Richard felt that was wrong and he went back to the folder marked family, wondering why he hadn't done that in the first place. "Ah, there you are Mother," he said suddenly as the first picture was of him and a red headed older woman and he instantly knew that was his mother. He went through some more pictures, stopping at a family photo, there were his wife, their daughters, Alexis, his mother, and an older man he could tell was Kate's father. "So your mother…" he began. And he nearly felt as if he'd been punched as the picture was vivid in his mind of Johanna Beckett. "We gave Eliza her name…" he mumbled in the middle of remembering. The picture of his mother in law murdered in an alley must have played a big role in his and Kate's relationship, but beyond that he couldn't say why and how. Sighing, he went back to the picture of him and his wife, hoping to get more back.

It was the next picture that gave him another rush of memories, of him and Kate on a beach again that time making Richard smile as he recalled their wedding. They'd been on a beach… "Because we live in a beach house," he said aloud, now realizing he and Kate had been in their home with their daughters in the memory of Eliza walking. "Hampstead? No, Hamptons," he was able to figure out abruptly. "We got married there… with Julia and Alexis… friends… our parents…" He could see faces, but couldn't remember who they were. There was an aisle with orchids, and grass where he'd instructed the florist to place a trail of white lotus flowers along either side of the aisle for his wife to have. "Because they mean wisdom and… compassion," he said. "I love that about you Kate."

Keeping his eyes closed then as he recollected their vows, he remembered then she was already pregnant with Eliza then, as she'd said so to their guests who hadn't known. Richard recalled their first dance, their cake and for some reason the country of Ireland. "Our honeymoon was there," he said slowly. "Yeah, we went and had a great time. We're taking the girls," he said, more to keep his thoughts straight and not get too confused. He went down a few more pictures, and saw one of him; Kate and Eliza, seeing the little girl had her fingers in her mouth. He studied the picture, and then smiled as it came back to him out of the blue with him saying, "Her first word."

* * *

_"I think she's getting the hang of that," Beckett said as she watched her husband wipe off their daughter's mouth when they'd finished lunch._

_"I think she'll be making a mess for a while still," Castle told her simply. "Now that she's done, games?" he asked._

_Giving him a look; since he already knew the answer to that; Beckett stood up and took their daughter from her high chair before telling him, "If you want to go ahead, but I'm taking her upstairs for her nap."_

_Eliza gurgled before reaching past her mother's shoulder, though she wasn't looking at her father. She babbled a little until he came up behind Beckett, and she smiled at him as he kissed her hand._

_Following Beckett up the stairs, Castle waited while she changed Eliza into pajamas; handing them to her; before he took her off the changing table. "Okay," he said, raising her up in the air slightly. "I think you are all set to go to bed. What do you think?" he asked her, pretending to be serious._

_Eliza smiled again, but then grew serious as Beckett walked up to them and she squirmed before saying, "Mama."_

_At the same moment, Beckett was about to lean down to the crib to move the blanket out of the way, but when she heard that she froze and then looked up at the baby. "Did she just-" she said, knowing that Eliza had just said her first word, but unable to believe that it had been that._

_"She did," Castle said, smiling at his wife's shock though he was just as surprised as her about it. "And that was said really nicely. But what about dada, can you give me a quick…? No, okay," he said with a laugh as Eliza wouldn't stop squirming._

_"Thank you sweetie," Beckett said, kissing her temple and feeling her eyes fill with tears. "And you said that pretty well, your daddy's right."_

_"See, I told you teaching her would be a good thing," Castle teased her._

_"I know," Beckett said with a sigh though she was smiling by then._

_"Were those your first words too?" Castle asked, realizing then why she looked to be a little emotional. At her nod he wrapped both her and their daughter in a quick hug, kissing her temple gently before they looked at Eliza together who started to yawn._

_"Now it's time for a nap," Beckett said. She kissed the baby's forehead and then lips before she handed her to Castle to let him tuck her in._

_Waiting until they were outside the room as soon as Eliza was asleep, Castle put his arm around his wife's shoulder and told her, "I wish she was here too."_

_"She told me it was just the two of us in the apartment when I first spoke and that she had almost burst into tears, because she hadn't realized what a special moment it was to hear your child call you by name the first time," Beckett said. "And I understand her reaction now. That was… But I feel a little guilty," she told her husband, stopping with him at the top of the stairs._

_"To tell you the truth," Castle said quickly before she could say anything else. "I've been teaching her to say mama first."_

_"Any reason why?" Beckett asked._

_"It just seemed easier to me," Castle commented. "The m sound instead of the d. And now I get to teach her dada in earnest and I know Julia will help me out in that."_

_Smiling and shaking her head, Beckett shared a kiss with him then, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. When they had parted she took his hand and said, "That was a nice break, but now, back to Moor and Green."_

_"Lead on love," Castle said, laughing briefly when she glanced back at him before they headed down to their office to return to their book._

* * *

"We write together?" Richard said to himself. "We didn't always… she was a cop, that's why she's… always correcting me," he groaned slightly as his head throbbed with a growing headache. "A detective," he reminded himself though that thought came out of the blue. He took a deep breath and then turned off his phone as he saw it was nearly three in the morning. Though he was desperate to remember more; especially about his wife; he needed to get some rest he knew. He leaned against the wall as he'd been when he'd regained consciousness, and found himself looking at the wall opposite him. But he wasn't really seeing that, instead remembering a table, with four cranes clustered together on top of a wrapped gift. "Has to be perfect," he mumbled under his breath. "For your mom Julia… she has to know I love her right?"

* * *

_"Right Daddy, is that good?" Julia asked eagerly._

_"It's fine," Castle replied as he shifted Eliza to his other side. "Okay, let's go inside so your mom doesn't see this before it's night."_

_"I hope she likes your presents," Julia said, glancing at the unofficial centerpiece of the table that her father had made with her help. "Why is it paper?"_

_"I don't know," Castle said. "But I still think we did a great job."_

_"I hope Mommy thinks it's special," Julia said. "That's what you said you were going to do right?"_

_"Every year we're married; and paper is the gift for the first year," Castle reminded her before they went into the house._

_"It feels like you got married yesterday," Julia giggled as they went to the family room to wait for her mother to return with Martha._

_"I know, but then look at Eliza," Castle said, kissing the four and a half month old baby. "It feels like it took a long time for her to be born."_

_"Yeah, that's right," Julia said, nodding. She then smiled and said, "I can't wait for her to grow up."_

_"Give her a little time to do that sweetie," a voice said at the doorway._

_"Mommy!" Julia said happily, running over to her._

_"Where's my mom?" Castle asked as he went over to Beckett._

_"In the foyer," she said as she was kneeling to hug their oldest. "Why?"_

_"I think he was going to tease you that you left me behind at the salon Kate," Martha said, walking over to them. "Now, it's nearly night, I want to take my granddaughters over to the Foster's home, leave you two to your celebration."_

_Smiling, Beckett followed her mother in law and Julia up the stairs, taking Eliza into her room before Castle suddenly passed her. "I can carry that," she teased him as he grabbed the baby's diaper bag._

_"Yeah, but my mother would chide me for not being the gentleman and help you with it," Castle told her. He smiled and said, "Plus I got to spend time with her alone just now, so I want you have a chance to be with her."_

_"Your daddy is very funny sometimes," Beckett murmured to the baby who was leaning against her. She pressed a kiss to the top of her head and told her, "Behave tonight and I promise you we'll see you for breakfast on the beach." She smiled as she looked into Eliza's eyes, seeing the baby looking back at her for a moment. With that she left going downstairs to where everyone was in the foyer. "Are we ready?" she asked, mainly her husband and Martha._

_"Yes, everything is packed for little Eliza," Castle's mother said as she watched her son say goodbye to the baby._

_"Love you Mommy," Julia was saying to Beckett as they hugged tightly. "I hope you have a good dinner."_

_"We will, behave over at the Fosters," she told her daughter with a smile. "And help your gram with your sister if she needs it."_

_"I will," Julia said before she hurried to her father. "I love you too Daddy, I hope you have fun at dinner."_

_"Like your mom said we will," Castle said, picking her up to kiss her. "If anything happens Mother-"_

_"I'll call, both of you don't need to worry in the slightest," Martha interrupted him. "We'll be next door. You two need to take a trip on your own to ease up the separation anxiety."_

_"Bye, have fun!" Julia called as she followed her grandmother down the driveway, walking backwards as she waved to her parents._

_"Walk forward," Castle and Beckett both said at the same time._

_Laughing, Julia turned and then hurried after Martha before they disappeared around the corner, walking to the Fosters who were on vacation, but letting them stay to allow Castle and Beckett to have a dinner by themselves to celebrate their first anniversary._

_"Okay, well, dinner's almost ready," Castle said as they walked back into the house._

_"I just need to change," Beckett told him, squeezing his hand._

_"Into what?" Castle asked eagerly._

_"You'll find out soon enough love," Beckett replied before she went up the stairs. She could feel his gaze on her the entire time, but didn't look back, continuing on until she was inside of their room._

_Castle had to nearly physically move himself to go to the kitchen where he put the finishing touches on dinner, taking what he needed to the gazebo. He changed in the office; as Beckett had let him know he'd better before he saw her for dinner; and after he'd finished he had to wonder how a year had gone by that fast. It had been a pretty pleasant year, with Eliza being born and he and his wife no longer having to hide their relationship. Their first book was going to be released the next day and he hoped that their celebration that night would be enough to make them both forget their slight unease of whether it was going to be well received or not._

_"Rick, you're thinking about the book, stop," Beckett said, coming down the stairs to see him standing in the doorway to their office._

_His head shooting up at that, Castle grinned slightly and said, "I almost thought you'd be wearing the dress you had on when I proposed to you."_

_"That didn't seem to work for tonight," Beckett told him. "But I get the feeling you won't mind this one," she said as he wrapped his arm around her waist, looking at the tight black dress she'd worn on their second Valentine's Day._

_"Also you seem to want to make me work for it later on?" Castle asked._

_Beckett just shrugged at that and then started to walk to the dining room where he'd told her they were going to eat, when he suddenly ran up to her and stopped her. "A surprise?" she asked._

_"Yeah, but not that way," Castle told her before he took her hand, leading her to the door to the back._

_A little confused, Beckett looked ahead at the gazebo that he was leading her to, and she saw the blue and white lights that were on though it wasn't quite dark yet. When they were a little closer she saw the café table in the middle, and the centerpiece of a wrapped gift and four origami cranes in different patterned papers on top of it. "I didn't think you'd go with the paper gift," she teased him as she set down the gift in her hand on the table._

_"Well, I thought they would be nice, Julia made these two smaller ones," Castle told her. "Eliza would have helped but…"_

_"The paper would have just gone into her mouth," Beckett said in amusement. "But they are beautiful and the gazebo is too."_

_"That I thought should look like it did when I proposed," Castle said. "Plus the light will be nice when we're eating. Speaking of that, I need to get dinner," he told her as he helped her sit down in one of the two chairs. "So I'll be right back."_

_"You know you could have taken me out here from the kitchen door," Beckett teased him._

_"I wanted you to have the full effect from a distance," Castle told her._

_Beckett rolled her eyes as she smiled when he disappeared inside the kitchen and she sighed as she picked up one of the cranes. Seeing the tiny shell inside it to weigh it down she heard the door open and looked up at her husband saying, "These are very cute."_

_"I wanted to hang them above us, but Julia pointed out the wind would have ripped them off any string we used," Castle said as he set a plate in front of her and then one on his placemat. "She said they'd be better as a centerpiece and I had to agree with her."_

_"Of course," Beckett said. She watched him pour wine for him and sparkling cider for her and then said, holding up her glass, "To us Rick, one year already."_

_"Many more to come of course Kate," Castle said before they tapped their glasses together._

_Sipping a little of the cider, Beckett began to eat before she and Castle were talking about the book signing they'd been convinced to do by their agent and the book party they were going to have to go into the city for that Friday. Luckily they were going to see the boys, Lanie and Jenny before that at the loft, so they were looking forward to that more, still unsure of their reception as co-authors._

_When the meal had been finished and they opened their anniversary gifts to each other; both books that had both been ordered from the bookstore in Dublin; Beckett was sitting and leaning against the rail of the gazebo, looking out at the waves before Castle came back out to her after clearing the table._

_"This wasn't anything too big," Castle told her as he sat next to her._

_"It doesn't have to be," Beckett said as she squeezed his hand that had taken hers. "I enjoyed it immensely. We got to swim with the girls; you spent some time with them; please tell me you played with Julia a little and didn't spend the whole time getting everything ready?"_

_"We did," Castle said with a slight smile as he remembered playing with some of Eliza's toys as Julia had wanted to play with her little sister too. He explained quickly to his wife what they'd done, and finished saying, "I think Julia's enjoying being the big sister."_

_"It sounds like it," Beckett said, though she knew he was right as she'd seen Julia playing with the baby before. "Plus you know she likes getting to take care of her when she can."_

_"Like when you let her help with Eliza's bath?" Castle asked, that coming to mind as it was actually the first time he and Beckett had given their youngest a bath since she'd come home from the hospital._

_"You and I let her help," Beckett reminded him as they'd decided on that to involve their oldest daughter more in the baby's life. "I'm surprised she didn't try to run down the beach to come see us," she said idly as they looked at the water together._

_"I bet you anything my mom told her not to interrupt us," Castle said._

_"And Julia probably didn't want to interrupt us," Beckett said, reminding him how their oldest had told them to have fun._

_"You make a point there," Castle said, thinking about that and nodding. He then studied his wife and reached over, fingering her aquamarine necklace that she was wearing and he said, "Would you want me to get you a sapphire necklace for our fifth anniversary?"_

_"No," Beckett said simply. "And that's a gift?"_

_"Traditional gift in some lists… well, just one," Castle told her as she gave him a look. "And it is blue…"_

_"I'm good with aquamarines," Beckett assured him. "Three of the people I love have that as their birthstone, so I'll stick with it."_

_"Good, I like you in this color," Castle said._

_"Rick," Beckett said, grabbing his wrist and pulling down his arm. Before he could reply to the slightly warning tone in her voice she cupped his cheeks with her hands and kissed him deeply._

_Responding to that immediately, Castle held her tightly against him, before finally giving up and pulling her on his lap. He felt her stroking his neck before her hands went up to his hair, and he groaned as her nails gently raked his scalp before she pulled away first. "I love you Kate," he told her._

_Smiling at that, Beckett brushed her lips against his and murmured, "I love you too Rick. Always?"_

_"Always," Castle assured her. "I'm hoping we celebrate like this next year."_

_"Like this how? Here having dinner?" Beckett asked with a small smile still on her lips._

_"No, just us," Castle corrected her. He then brought her back to his lips and they kissed again, deeply as they clung to one another._

_A number of passionate kisses later, the two were walking down to the beach barefoot, letting the breaking waves run over them before Castle gathered his wife in his arms, kissing her again. They kept on doing that until Beckett slipped out of his grasp and laughing at him over her shoulder, started to walk up to the house. Watching her for a few seconds, it took little time for Castle to catch up to her and usher her inside where he closed and locked the door as she kissed him once more._

* * *

Jerking awake, Castle looked around himself and realized that he wasn't with his wife as he'd been dreaming. He then recalled the hours before he'd been sleeping, remembering his and Beckett's first anniversary. That had been the final catalyst and something in his mind had regained his memories, at least he hoped so. But since the furthest back that he could reminisce was when he'd been around four years old and his mother had found him reading by himself for the first time he knew he had everything back. He knew his wife could let him know if that was his earliest memory when he froze.

"Damn it, she probably thinks I'm dead," Castle said as he looked up at the window, seeing that the sky was lightening with the coming dawn. He jerked his wrist again before rubbing his skin. "Damn it," he swore again as what he'd been dreaming about came back to him. He had been with Beckett, on the floor in front of a fire, fucking her as she took what he gave her eagerly. He bit the side of his mouth as he tried not to get aroused at the thought of her, remembering how she'd felt. Not just there, but on the armchair, couch and bed as well the night before. He breathed out a little, turning his mind to something else; who had brought him there. "Hill," he said, gritting his teeth, though he had to wonder how the man had gotten out of the closet he'd been locked in.

Knowing that that was the least of his worries, Castle decided he needed to get out before the activities director came back and most likely killed him. But his stomach was growling at the same time and he rolled his eyes before he took out the maple sugar leaf. As he ate that he went through his life again, ending with, "I'm married to Kate Beckett, we have two daughters; Julia whom we both adopted but she's our daughter. And we had our first baby two years ago, Elizabeth but we call her Eliza for short. And Kate and I write together because she had to resign from the NYPD because of Tyson, to keep our girls safe." Nodding in confirmation at that, he breathed and said, "At least I remember them and Alexis. Mother too, she'd be upset if I forgot her," his lips quirking up at the corners as he could imagine her response to that.

He glanced over at the window again, leaning away from the wall as far as he could to see if it was snowing still. Castle couldn't see anything though and thought he might have seen the blue of the sky. He wasn't sure if that was an advantage or a detriment, but decided not to try and find out. He picked up his phone, thinking finally he'd be able to call his wife, but promptly discovered that he still had no reception. Letting out a groan of irritation he pocketed it and glanced at the handcuff around him. "Man I wish I was handcuffed to Kate again," he said, that being one of the memories he'd recalled after he'd come back to himself. He tried, uselessly he knew, to push it off of him, but all that did was scrape his skin.

Castle's mind went back to Beckett yet again as he slumped against the wall in defeat, unable to help bringing up in his mind how she had looked the night before and the night before the fire that had started their whole crazy investigation. He tried to quickly put the reins on that line of thought; which made him remember his wife and him riding horses together for some reason. That in turn led to him recollecting Julia who was starting to ride herself, making him smile as he always thought she was like her mother when she was on a horse. "Oh god, Kate's going to think she's got to raise the girls on her own…" he said to himself, wondering why the rush of his memories and remembrance of who he was had made him forget that fact. In the sudden scramble he made to again push off the handcuffs, he had an epiphany, swearing as it should have been one of the first things his situation had evoked since it had happened to him more than once. But he finally had a way out and he started to twist his body, trying to work with only one hand left unbound, desperate to make it back to Beckett after experiencing their relationship and life together again, needing to get back to her.


	11. Future May Not Be At All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Flying Hour written by George Harrison and Mick Ralphs and sung by George, from the original rejected track listing of George's album Somewhere in England.

When Beckett opened her eyes she was a little confused as to where she was before she saw the bookshelves to her right. And when she realized that what she had just been dreaming about was that; a dream; she wrapped her arms tighter around herself, trying to forget what she had seen. But everything came rushing back to her with her helpless to stop it, remembering the explosion, the frantic search for Castle and finding his body… She stopped herself there, knowing if she dwelled on it she was going to go crazy with the memory of that moment knowing he was dead. She got off of the second armchair in the room, the only place in the cabin she found she could fall asleep without being jolted awake by recalling being with her husband.

Walking over to the table, Beckett let out a sigh as she saw the paper was filled with notations she'd made going over hers and Castle's investigation and what had happened with the explosion. But all of that didn't tell her where she could find Hill and who his accomplice was. She went over to the kitchen, taking an apple from the fridge, not really wanting to eat, though she knew she had to. She got a knife and went back to the armchair; that one spot somehow becoming a safe haven for her, as it was harder for her to evoke in her mind what she'd lost. But while that had worked when she was fatigued and falling asleep, in the harsh light of day it wasn't so easy.

The blade of the knife dug into the apple's green peel, and sliced it open as one thought that Beckett had had the night before kept coming back to her. "It wasn't long enough," she finally admitted out loud, thinking that might make her stop saying it like a mantra. "Eight years was nowhere near long enough," she continued, relieved she wasn't crying but feeling as if she was very cold. She ate a slice of apple finally, studying the creamy flesh of the fruit but not seeing it. Her dreams had been a hodgepodge of memories; understandable since she couldn't really control what she saw when she dreamed. But Castle had of course been in them which had been a joy to see as she was experiencing them but in the day they were brutal to face.

Taking her phone out of her pocket then, Beckett breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw that there was still no reception as she still had no idea how she was going to tell her family that Castle was dead. She stared at the screen of her phone, hesitating for a moment before she went to her gallery, looking at the one picture she kept out of the folders she had. It was of her and Castle with their daughters, she had been taking a picture the first of each month since Eliza had been born, wanting to document in that way how she and Julia grew; the other pictures in a folder. Tears in her eyes she went to the pictures of her and Castle, some of just him and also of him with the girls there. She paused at one and a tear snaked its way down her cheek before she could stop it as she could vividly recall when she'd taken the picture of Castle on his back with Julia, Eliza who was around six months old in between them.

* * *

_Walking down the hall, Beckett paused as she heard Castle talking, smiling when she quickly discerned who he was talking to. She walked a little faster, trying to go as quietly as she could when she heard Julia's giggle and Eliza's cooing._

_"This seems pretty uncomfortable," Castle was saying to his daughters as they were all on their stomachs. "How do you stay like this for so long?" he asked Eliza though he obviously didn't expect an answer._

_"I think the blanket helps Daddy," Julia said with a wide smile on her face as she leaned her face close to her sister's to kiss her cheek._

_"I guess, maybe it's because… oh, I guess we're going this way now," Castle said, interrupting himself when the baby rolled over onto her back then and he and Julia followed suit. He wasn't surprised when the little girl laughed softly and copied her sister in kicking her legs in the air a few times. He'd been left to watch the girls while Beckett had cleaned up from lunch, and he and Julia had decided to spend their time seeing the world through Eliza's eyes; as he had put it when he'd suggested it. "This is a lot better," he commented._

_"That's 'cause we lie down like this when we're grownups," Julia said._

_"Oh, well if you're a grown up Miss Julia then I must be ancient," Castle said, keeping his gaze on the ceiling above them. He laughed when he heard running and Julia suddenly climbed on his stomach, trying to tickle him. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" he said though he knew she wasn't mad._

_"Good," the little girl replied before they both looked at Eliza at the same time, seeing she was sucking on her hand in her mouth._

_"Okay, that's enough of that," Castle said, carefully withdrawing it. "Why don't you try your keys?"_

_"Interesting parenting style you have love," Beckett said, walking into the room after getting some pictures with her phone of them._

_"I do what I can," Castle said, tilting his head back to watch her walking up to them. "So, care to join us?"_

_"Yeah Mommy! Come and lay down it's really fun," Julia cried as she was on her side so she could look at them._

_"Another time," Beckett replied with a smile. "For now though, someone needs to have a nap you know."_

_"Oh fine, I'll sleep right here if that's okay," Castle said, turning on his side towards the girls, letting Eliza take his index finger with her hand._

_"Not you," Beckett said simply. "Come on sweetie," she said as she reached over him and pulled the baby off the floor._

_Sighing, Castle stood and then picked Julia up, carrying her after her mother to Eliza's room where they kissed the baby goodnight. "Okay, so since it's a Saturday," he said once they were out in the hall walking to the stairs. "What would you like to do?"_

_Julia, since that question was directed to her, was quiet for a moment before she said, "Can we fly my kite?"_

_"Get it," Beckett urged her. She turned to her husband then as they headed down to the door out back and told him, "You're a great father you realize that right."_

_"You saw me with our girls?" Castle asked her, smiling slightly at her very serious tone._

_"I did, got some pictures as well," Beckett told him before she showed him on her phone._

_His smile growing wider at the sight of the three of them laying on their backs, Castle wrapped his arm around his wife, pulling her close against his side and murmuring to her, "We have a beautiful family love."_

_"We do, but for the moment…" Beckett said, pulling on the front of his shirt until their lips met. She momentarily forgot that Julia was about to join them, instead she took the time to enjoy that kiss as Castle's tongue slowly slipped past her parted lips until they gently curled together. Her hands went from his shirt to around his neck, holding onto him tightly until she heard the thud of Julia's feet on the stairs._

_"Easy sweetheart," Castle said as he was facing the staircase. "You'll wake up your sister."_

_"Sorry, but I wanted to tell you I was here, so you wouldn't get scared," Julia said with a wide smile, holding up her phoenix kite her grandmother had bought for her in Indonesia. "Now?"_

_"Yes, come on," Castle said, taking her hand. "You too," he said shortly to Beckett before he dragged her out._

_"I was coming with you," she said with a laugh as they went down to the grass. "I'll take some pictures," she suddenly said._

_"But you have your phone Mommy!" Julia cried in protest as Beckett went back inside the house. "Wait," she said as her father tried to take her kite to get ready to hold it up for her._

_"She'll come back; see there she is already," Castle told her as his wife was coming out of the door. "Is she okay?"_

_"I didn't hear anything," Beckett said, since she had the baby monitor speaker in her pocket. "Okay, start," she said, laughing as she saw the way the two were waiting for her. As soon as Castle had the kite in hand, walking backwards, she began to take pictures, of both her husband and their oldest daughter who kept teasing him by crying out, "Go back more!" Finally though the kite was up in the air and she managed to get a shot of them and the bird made of fabric above them._

* * *

Interrupting into her own thoughts Beckett jumped up from the chair, the half of the apple she hadn't eaten tumbling to the floor, the knife sliding along the back of her right hand as it did that. The pain from it brought her back to the present and wincing she hurried over to the kitchen, rinsing the long but shallow cut to keep from bleeding on the furniture. She sighed as she realized her phone was still in her hand and she looked at the black screen, wondering if she wanted to turn it back on and be reminded of her loss even more than she was already.

For a few minutes though Beckett had a reprieve from that as she picked up the apple and knife. She went to the window next to the door and glanced out to take a look at the snow. It was deep and she wasn't exactly looking forward to walking out in it. But since the sun was shining she could see it was melting already and she glanced at her watch, deciding to take one more look at the murder board before she left. When she got to the table though she found her phone where she'd left it, for some reason directly in the middle of the paper murder board. She picked it up and turned it on, telling herself that she was only going to get out of her picture gallery so she could get to work. But when the screen came on, she saw a picture of her and Castle after they'd been married; a little before the reception had started. She slid her finger across, not wanting that reminder at all though she was hard pressed to forget the day as it was one of her best memories with her husband. She was startled to find the next picture was of her, Castle and Julia together in what looked like a Victorian parlor, then suddenly said, "The day before." That memory was very strong, as she had been reassured while they'd gone out to lunch with their daughter that she had found someone she could love far more than she thought possible; as well as giving Julia the best father she could possibly have found for the little girl. "And for Eliza too," she murmured to herself as she recalled being pregnant that day before the wedding.

* * *

_When they stepped inside the home, Julia looked up at Castle and asked, "This is where we eat?"_

_"It's a special lunch," he replied, looking at Beckett._

_Smiling, as a way to tell him she wouldn't let Julia know what their lunch was, Beckett squeezed their daughter's hand gently before they followed Castle inside. "So tonight we're going to have that dinner," she told the little girl._

_"I remember," Julia said quickly. "I can't wait to see Mari so she can meet Celia."_

_"I'm not too surprised," Castle said, helping his fiancée into her chair. "But for now, we're going to have this for lunch," he said as a waiter came over with a teapot._

_"Which is what exactly?" Beckett asked._

_"Spearmint," Castle quickly assured her. "I didn't think you'd want her to have regular tea; besides the fact you can't right now."_

_Nodding, Beckett looked with him at their daughter, seeing that she seemed to be excited. "Do you know what this is sweetie?" she asked._

_"Is it the tea they have in England? With little sammiches and treats?" Julia asked, sitting up straighter at their gazes._

_"It is," Castle said. "I heard about this place that just opened and thought you'd want to try it."_

_When Julia nodded rapidly in response to that, Beckett turned to him and asked, "Our family didn't want to join us?"_

_"I asked all three of them but even Alexis said for us to go on our own," Castle said. "You know if we go to England with them, we're making them go to an afternoon tea."_

_"They don't like it?" Julia asked._

_Before he could answer that question, Castle had to quickly order which tea they wanted, namely what to have to eat with their spearmint tea. After the waiter had gone he turned to the little girl and told her, "I don't think they were hungry for it. As far as I know Alexis is taking your grandfather to the barbeque place on the outskirts of Southampton and my mom is going to her friend's for lunch."_

_"Well, we'll have breakfast tomorrow," Beckett replied. "Since we're all sitting at the same table."_

_"Are you nervous Mommy?" Julia whispered._

_"No," Beckett said, smiling as she watched Castle shake out Julia's napkin over her lap._

_"I guess you can't 'cause you have the baby there," Julia said in a low voice, glancing at her mother's stomach._

_"The baby's not exactly there, remember I told you sweetie," Beckett replied._

_"I forgot," Julia said, recalling then. She saw the waiter coming over then and sat a little straighter as he set down the three tiers of sandwiches, cakes and scones in the middle of the table. "What can I eat?" she asked quickly once they were alone again._

_"There are cucumber sandwiches, watercress and ham, which of them do you want?" Castle asked._

_"Can I try watercress?" Julia asked interestedly._

_"If you don't like it you can give it to Castle," Beckett said as he handed their daughter a tiny sandwich. "I told you," she said to him then._

_"Well, considering we're reading her Trumpet of the Swan…" Castle said with a smile._

_"I love that book," Julia said quickly before she took a sip of her weak tea and then nibbled a corner of the sandwich, getting some of the watercress._

_"So did Alexis," Castle said in response as he got a few sandwiches after Beckett had._

_Hearing his tone of voice, Beckett glanced at him and asked, "What's on your mind?"_

_"No, I'm wondering if you're going to be okay with us gone?" Castle asked their daughter._

_"Yeah," Julia said, hurriedly swallowing a bite of watercress sandwich. "Why?"_

_"We're both worried you might not like us going away," Beckett said, understanding why he'd asked that. "We haven't really done that before, just a couple times for more than a few days really."_

_"I don't like it," Julia said, pursing her lips after thinking about that. "But it's a honeymoon, you have to go or else you're not going to be really married."_

_Jumping slightly as Castle started coughing next to her, Beckett thwacked him on the back before she said, "That's not really what it's for. Remember we told you it's for a couple to get used to being married. Who told you a honeymoon was for that?"_

_"A girl at my old school," Julia said, frowning. "She said that you go on a trip like that so you're for real married or else you're not."_

_"I think she's mistaking the honeymoon with the marriage license," Castle said with a slight cough as he recovered. "But you should have a lot of fun," he told her._

_"Yeah, 'cause my friends will be here and Mari is next door," Julia said excitedly, starting to jump up and down in her chair before she quickly stopped herself._

_"Keep eating sweetie," Beckett urged her._

_"But will I get to hear where you go?" Julia asked, picking up the second sandwich on her plate._

_"You will," Castle replied. "Why don't you try and guess where I'm taking your mom?"_

_Beckett looked on in amusement as Julia did just that, laughing softly with her fiancé as their daughter's guesses became a little outrageous towards the end of the meal. "I don't think," she said as she was taking her to the entrance while Castle was paying for lunch. "That he would take me to Antarctica, since there aren't any hotels there."_

_"I would go, to see the penguins," Julia told her mother seriously before they went outside. She cried out when Castle picked her up and after he put her on his shoulders said, "Wouldn't you go to see them?"_

_"I would, but there's just the problem of it being super cold," he replied. "But we've seen penguins before luckily."_

_"Yeah," Julia sighed. "Now can we go swimming?" she asked eagerly, leaning her cheek on the top of his head._

_"Love?" Castle asked._

_"Go," Beckett said, following them to the car. She watched them start to sing together; the song Faster they'd been listening to right before they'd arrived; as Julia was humming. Seeing the smile on her daughter's face, she had to wonder if tomorrow would finally be the day that Julia would call him daddy. She sighed a little under her breath, hoping that the little girl would give Castle that as a wedding present at the very least; knowing she herself would count it as a gift too._

* * *

Opening her eyes, Beckett allowed herself one more picture before she tried to forget so she could focus on trying to find Hill. She saw it was of four paper cranes in a display box, and she remembered their first anniversary. Castle had been consistent with his gifts for her; as he'd promised when they'd been a month into their marriage. Their second anniversary she couldn't help smile as she remembered they had been at home again, but he'd bought a hammock for her, and had set it in the middle of the yard so they could look up at the stars after dinner; the gift being the cotton cover for it according to him. Their third anniversary they also celebrated at home and he'd given her a crystal decanter with the date of their wedding etched on the bottom of it, using it with their dinner they'd had directly on the beach. She smiled to herself, remembering how he'd promised her their fourth anniversary wasn't going to disappoint, but it was a weak attempt at a smile, knowing they weren't going to get the chance to keep celebrating.

Shaking her head before that thought of more time went through her mind yet again she got up and put on her boots before getting her coat and scarf, bringing her gloves out with her as she didn't want to wait anymore. Beckett broke her way through the slowly melting snow, keeping her gaze determinedly on the hotel once she came out from the trees and could see the ruins of the boathouse, though they were slightly covered with snow.

"Ms. Beckett," the concierge said, sounding a little sad as she saw her walking over to her. "Are you here to check out?"

"No," Beckett replied, not wanting to say more than that.

"Ms. Beckett," Morrissey said from behind her. "How are you doing?"

"Where did they take my husband?" Beckett asked, feeling as if someone else was asking that.

"I… I wouldn't recommend you seeing him," Morrissey stammered, looking over at the concierge who looked surprised as well.

"I just want to know where he is," Beckett replied.

"Oh, we put him in the freezer, we asked the police… they recommended doing that," Morrissey said, sounding decidedly uncomfortable then.

"Okay, then is there any sign of Hill?" Beckett asked, trying not to remember what the interior of the freezer looked like.

"I would recommend you leave the investigation to the police ma'am," Morrissey said, still awkward.

"And I need to find him and his accomplice before I lose any more time than I have already," Beckett said firmly, looking at him square in the eye.

"I haven't heard anything, we've checked everyone; the storm helped out immensely for that," Morrissey finally said. "But no one's missing, or acting suspicious and security didn't really find much of anything when they followed those tracks behind us."

"So how could Hill just disappear in this snow?" Beckett asked sharply.

"I don't know," Morrissey replied.

"I'd like to search where he was kept," Beckett said.

"Of course, I'll escort you there myself," Morrissey said, nodding to the concierge. He led Beckett back to the staff quarters and to the closet where Hill was kept. "No one's been in here since yesterday," he let her know. He watched Beckett go inside before he asked, "Why did your husband want to talk to him?" hoping she would be okay with that question.

"He thought that Hill might have been set up," Beckett said. "And I would have concurred if it hadn't turned out Hill had an accomplice."

"I need to speak to the manager," Morrissey said quickly. "I'll come back to see if you're okay."

Beckett didn't notice the man leaving, looking at the chair that the man had been left on. Since the man had been handcuffed and not tied to it, she hadn't expected there to be any kind of damage to it; and there wasn't. She stood and then went around the walls of the room, trying to find something that might clue her in to what happened the day before. There was no surprise when there was nothing to be found and she went to the window to take a closer look. Since her gloves were still on she reached up to the latch where she found the markings of it being forced open on the sill. But that didn't tell her much so she moved a stepstool over and stood on it to look closer. It was then she found a drop of blood, very small, in the track of the window. She frowned at the sight of that, but guessed either Hill or the accomplice had hurt themselves slightly on the way in or out.

Stepping down to the floor, Beckett went out into the hall, seeing that Perkins was walking to his room. She called to him, and when he walked to her told him, "If you see Morrissey, tell him there's some blood in the sill of the window."

"Of course," Perkins said. "Ms. Beckett, I'm so sorry."

Nodding, and wincing inwardly as she hadn't wanted to have to hear that coming back to the hotel, Beckett went to Hill's room. She stood in the doorway for a moment, glancing around to see if anything had changed since she'd last been there. But everything was as they'd left it and though she made a quick, cursory search of the drawers and closet, she couldn't see any evidence of anything being tampered with or stolen. Giving up then she left the staff quarters and went to the doors and looked at the lake, standing there for a while.

With a deep breath, Becket went outside towards the ruins, tugging her coat closer around herself to keep warm though the sun was shining. Getting to the outline of the boathouse, she looked around on the snow, not seeing any footprints, guessing once they'd gotten her husband's body into the hotel no one had bothered to go back outside. She flinched visibly at how she had just left the crime scene without bothering to search it, but she hadn't wanted to watch them move Castle's body. She went into the boathouse through the doorway which somehow still stood, peering down closely at the ground as she went. But the recent snow had covered a lot and she was unsure about trying to take anything out from underneath.

Scanning from left to right, Beckett stopped turning her head when she saw something black just barely showing up through the white. Hurrying over to it, she brushed off the mushy snow to uncover some plastic. She held up the piece, knowing that it was the bomb. She started nearly digging into the snow to uncover a piece of metal before she heard footsteps behind her. Jumping up to her feet she turned, finding the Maxtones there.

"Kate?" Chelsea asked carefully, walking up to the doorway.

"What," Beckett said, studying the two.

"Listen, we were watching you from outside and we're a little concerned about you," Chelsea told her.

"And what does this have to do with you creeping up on me?" Beckett asked as she walked down to the other end, scanning the snow again.

"We know you're grieving," William told her. "But you should probably come inside."

Turning to them, Beckett narrowed her eyes and said, "I barely know you so I don't think you have any right to tell me what I should be doing. And I need to find who's responsible for this."

"Kate-" Chelsea started to say.

"That's Beckett to you," she snapped irritated. "And I will find the killer. Since I'm trying to do that, please leave me alone." She felt no remorse when she saw the annoyed expressions on their faces before they turned and left. She didn't want anyone trying to tell her what to do and at that moment didn't want the two thinking she was doing the wrong thing by continuing to investigate. When she was alone, she stepped over the remainder of the wall next to the path before going to the lake. She looked at the island, wondering if it was possible Hill and his possible accomplice had had a boat. There was also the idea that Hill had killed who he was working with and was on his own; which would make escaping much easier. But what made those theories implausible was the fact that the snow last night had nearly been a blizzard.

Kicking at a pile of snow, Beckett turned to go when she saw a flash of silver inside the ruins. She hurried back inside and was able to find a bracelet that had a plate on it with the name Ronald on it. It was slightly charred, and she turned to leave when she saw someone behind her. "Mr. Morrissey," she said, startled.

"Perkins told me that you were out here, what could you have found?" the owner asked before he noticed her hands. "That's Hill's bracelet," he said in surprise.

"He must have dropped it when he was leaving," Beckett began, handing it to him as he was wearing gloves as well. "After he'd set the bomb to go off," she finished grimly, showing him the plastic and metal she'd managed to find.

"Okay, I'll get these into plastic bags," Morrissey said. "And save them for the police to have as evidence."

"Did Hill have an office?" Beckett suddenly asked.

"In fact he did," the resort owner said. "Next to my office on the second floor." He turned and pointed to the row of windows in the middle of the second floor above the doors to the lobby. "Right there, but you can only get into them with a special key card," he explained. "But I can still take you of course," he said when he looked at her and saw her determined expression.

Walking after him Beckett looked around, trying to see anything in ther surroundings that seemed suspicious. She then thought of something and asked him, "Has security been watching the perimeter now that the snow's stopped?"

"They are," Morrissey said. "I had them set up some web cams that we had in the office, the only thing I really knew to do."

Nodding though the man couldn't see it, Beckett followed him back inside, trying not to glare at the couples going through the lobby that were looking over at her and whispering. She could almost feel the pity from the women coming to her in waves, knowing they were thankful that they weren't in her shoes; without a husband and trying to find his killer. She ignored them the best she could before she and Morrissey entered the elevator, though that became hard when they shared it with another couple. The two wouldn't look at her and she could see out of the corner of her eye that the woman was holding tightly to her husband. She ground her teeth together, but luckily the ride up was short and she was soon following the owner out to a door.

"See what I meant?" Morrissey asked as he took out a key card.

"I believed you," Beckett said simply. She went inside before him and saw Hill's office since his name was on a plaque on the door. "Is it open?" she asked.

"He never locked…" Morrissey started to say as he turned the doorknob.

Looking inside, Beckett saw the desk was an absolute mess, drawers upended and items tossed around the office. "Did he always leave it unlocked?" she asked the owner, stopping him from stepping inside.

"Yeah, but there's only four offices here," Morrissey replied, shaking off the shock he felt. "Me, Hill, the manager and the head chef."

"Why would the head chef need an office?" Beckett asked idly and rhetorically as she was picking up items. "Are these your grounds?" she asked, seeing a map then.

"About seventy acres," Morrissey told her.

"Would Hill need this for any reason?" Beckett inquired as she held it up.

"Well, for the snow sports we offer," Morrissey said with a slight nod. "I think that's what those red exes are for; the best places to do everything from snurfing to sledding; he was a great outdoorsman."

"So would he know-" Beckett began.

"If you look on that map, there's honestly nowhere he could run to," Morrissey interrupted, being a little hesitant in his tone. "Not last night with the snowfall we had. In any direction… he'd be a dead man, him and anyone else possibly working with him."

"Then where the hell is he?" Beckett asked, gripping the map so hard she nearly tore it in half.

"Here," Morrissey said quickly as he held out his hand for the map. "Listen, I have a number of security guards here, we're making sure that we don't miss anyone trying to leave. Just, please wait for the police now Ms. Beckett." He started to speak, before he stopped, and then he told her, "We have reception back to the phones."

Shooting him a glare, Beckett slammed the map onto the man's chest and she left the office; not having seen anything else as the map was one of the last items she'd picked up. She didn't stop walking until she'd gone down to the lobby, out the door and across the snow back in her own footsteps to the cabin. She went back into the quiet living room, and frowned as she was back in her memories again as soon as the door was closed behind her. "Damn it," she swore as she looked around herself; as if it was the first time she'd seen the place.

Going over to the kitchen after she had discarded her outer layers and coat on the back of the couch, Beckett started to pace between it and the table, trying to figure out what to do. But what was largely on her mind was what Morrissey had told her before she'd left him. She knew she had to tell her family what had happened and she pulled her phone from her pocket, starting to reach down to turn it on when she paused. She had one last thing to do and that was to find Castle's killer before she thought about getting in touch with her daughters, or anyone else.

Pocketing the smart phone, Beckett went back to the table and studied her murder board. She was able to add a few things about Hill, and as she wrote down snurfing under his name she tried to recall that day when she and Castle had been with the man at the top of the hill. While she'd been waiting for her husband to come down to her that first time, she'd scanned their surroundings; not to do with the case, but more because she was seeing possible pictures she could have taken if she'd had her camera. But with so much happening since that day, she couldn't recall anything that had stood out to her.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Beckett wrote down _possible hiding place Morrissey does not know of?_ She had to wonder about that since she and Castle had been told the owner knew his entire property by Fraser. She then quickly wrote _building built without Morrissey's knowledge because it was built in area owner did not visit?_ It was then she remembered that they had reception back so she grabbed Castle's tablet and turned it on, going to a site with satellite images of the earth. Checking on the date the pictures were last taken she found the resort and looked around what she could only guess were the edges of its property from what the owner had said about its size. But as she had been afraid of, there was nothing that she could see that might indicate a hiding place.

A knock on the door startled her and Beckett went to it, looking out and finding it was the head chef she recognized when she and Castle had been in the kitchen. "Can I help you?" she asked after she opened her door slightly.

"I have lunch here for you ma'am, from Morrissey," the man, whose last name was Quentin embroidered on his shirt that was showing below his coat, said.

"You can just, put that on the table," Beckett said after hesitating a moment, standing aside to let him go to it. She waited at the door for him and once he was coming back she heard a sudden crack outside in the trees, turning her attention that way. It was then she suddenly had a thought and froze as she said under her breath, "Why would the head chef deliver-"

Before she could finish that or even move, Beckett was whirled around and she saw the chef was holding a gun straight at her, making her start to step back.

"You're coming with me lady," Quentin said as he aimed the shotgun in his hands. "I don't know how the hell you did it, but you're going to tell me what else you found out. Come with me. _Now_." When Beckett started to run, he ran after her, his long legs managing to close the gap between them and he knocked her to the ground. Raising the shotgun, he brought it down onto her head before standing up, dragging her with him through the snow.


	12. Left Out In The Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Footprints by Paul McCartney and Eric Stewart, from Paul's album Press to Play.

Blue sky. White snow. Dark branches of bare trees. Snow. Sky. Trees. Snow.

All of what Beckett saw was a kind of blur of color to her as she was in a daze after the blow to her head. She had no idea where exactly she was as she had a hard time keeping herself aware of her surroundings while she was being dragged through the woods. Her legs were scrambling to keep up with her captor and she looked down, seeing the two straight lines that were appearing after her feet. She tried to put them down on the ground but found herself slipping over it again.

"Come on," Quentin growled to her as he yanked her along with him. "You'll be with that husband of yours soon enough."

Beckett's heart dropped at that and she tried to move, to get away from the man whose grip was unforgiving, thinking of her daughters. Finally though she slipped away from him but only managed to fall into the snow. The cold was a shock and she stayed where she was, trying to catch her breath.

"Bitch," Quentin said angrily as he stalked to her. He bent over to pick her back up and when he did he was suddenly dropping her, gasping out as she rammed her elbow into his stomach.

Beckett turned and tried to reach for the shotgun the chef still held and had to duck as he recovered rapidly, swinging the gun at her head. She was almost impervious to the cold as she was down on the ground again, the adrenaline coursing through her managing to keep her from noticing it. Just as she had her hands on the end of the shotgun, he was swinging around, aiming it at her as he kicked her square on the top of her thigh. Flying back into the snow, she stopped herself with her hands and quickly stood. "You won't fire that," she said, keeping an eye on him instead of the gun. "Anyone who hears that from the resort-"

"Will get here too late," Quentin snapped at her. "We're far enough out that they're not going to reach you in time to stop you from bleeding out. Too bad, you could have had a reunion-"

Beckett; knowing she had to take what chances she could; lunged at his legs and managed to knock him over onto his back. She grabbed at the gun yet again, and managed to get a grip on the end. But before she could hold onto it any more tightly than she already was, it was tugged out of her grasp.

Quentin slammed his hand on the side of Beckett's head, making her cry out in pain as he managed to hit where he'd struck her before. He pulled the gun away, ready to aim and fire it when he was scrambling for it yet again. He didn't know how she had managed to recover and he was struggling to keep his hands on the weapon before they were suddenly pulling on it. Since he was larger than her, he managed to drag her through the snow as they stood, until with a hard grunt he was yanking at the gun. But right when he did that, Beckett had a pretty good hold on the other end. And instead of either one of them getting the shotgun, it flew into the air.

Beckett was going to go for the gun to grab it after it had fallen but instead she found herself fighting Quentin off as he was trying to grab her again.

There was a loud report of a bullet as the gun landed on a rock sticking up from the snow, but neither Quentin nor Beckett could react to it, too busy trying to fight for control as he finally wrapped his arm around her neck and proceeded to squeeze.

"Come on," he hissed to her. "I'll just throw you in that fucking lake after I smash in your skull."

Loosing air rapidly and her vision swimming in front of her, Beckett had no choice but to let the man drag her. And as soon as he had eased his grip on her she was able to breathe as her feet slid through the snow to leave two long tracks within the white coating the ground.

* * *

Running, Castle found himself relieved that he didn't need to tread through the snow that time, remembering him and Beckett having to do that when they'd gone to the hotel from their cabin. It was as he was thinking that that he saw the trunks of the trees widening between each other and he was soon out in the open, seeing the hotel itself. He glanced over to the lake, seeing the ruins of the boathouse he'd been looking through the day before and then took off for the cabin, not caring if anyone saw him.

The path was one he recalled and Castle found himself nearing the small building where he and his wife had spent their past few days. He skidded to a stop, nearly falling to the ground when just in front of the open cabin door, he found blood. The red was in sharp contrast to the white and it made him a little sick as he had no idea if that was his wife's or not. "Kate," he yelled, running into the building.

The room was quiet as he entered and he almost started to run back out when he noticed the piece of paper on the table. Walking to it, Castle saw what his wife had added to the murder board in his absence and he couldn't help saying, "Close love, it wasn't Hill, but he had me where Morrissey wouldn't know to look."

There was the loud echo of a gunshot then and Castle jumped at the sound of it, rushing to the door and looking outside he glanced at the blood on the snow. Without another thought he was running around the cabin as he'd been able to discern where the shot was most likely coming from. When he got around the cabin though he was able to see two tracks in the snow; a set of footprints next to them. Realizing that he didn't have to really work to try and find his wife he took off at a run again, hoping that shot hadn't been meant for Beckett.

Making sure he kept the lake to his left so he wouldn't get lost, Castle tried to brace himself for more blood to catch his eye. But as he got further from the cabin he never came across any and he couldn't help himself from thinking the worst about that gunshot. He came to a small clearing where the snow was full of different marks and he quickly recognized that his wife had tried to escape. "Or tried to get the gun," he said when he glanced over at the shotgun that was in front of a rock. He heard a yell in the distance, and looked ahead of him, trying to discern if that was Beckett or the killer.

Not hearing anything else after a few moments, Castle went to the gun and checked it out, seeing it looked to be okay. There was an audible sigh of relief when he found a second bullet in the chamber and he took off once more, soon finding the drag marks that he knew were his wife. But he felt more reassured that Beckett was alive, as there was still no sign of any blood.

While Castle was getting the shotgun, Beckett was trying to fight back, trying to get away from Quentin as at some point he had turned to the lake. She felt the ground under her suddenly having a slope, and she wondered where they were exactly. Before she could try and figure that out by looking around them she was suddenly tossed down among rocks, the wind being knocked out of her with the force of it. She heard the wet squelch of snow as Quentin walked away and she made herself get up though she could feel the effects of the fight as her muscles strained painfully.

Turning towards the lake to use that to return to the hotel, Beckett cried out as she was struck in the leg with something hard, taking her back down to the ground which she slid into. Flipping onto her back she saw the rock that Quentin had thrown and she saw the man had picked up another.

"Get back here," Quentin yelled at her hoarsely as he tossed the rock at her. He missed, but managed to hit the snow as she was about to turn in that direction, so he was able to grab something else. "Stay there or I'll just throw you in the lake without the benefit of being dead before you go in."

"Why… why are you doing this," Beckett said, slowly turning to him and hoping that she could distract him long enough to have someone find them; knowing someone had to have noticed the shot that had gone off that she had just barely heard as they'd been fighting.

"Because they're just like Jessie and Andy," Quentin said, shifting the branch he'd picked up to his other hand. "And they were going to have what they couldn't, I had to stop it. They told me to."

A little confused by that, Beckett then said, "Why did you set off that bomb?"

"So you wouldn't find me," Quentin nearly snarled as he ran the rest of the way to her. He had the advantage as Beckett slipped and he got on top of her, trying to hit her on the head. But she was able to stop him and there was a struggle to gain ownership of the branch as both of them were grabbing it for themselves. He had just managed to wrench it from her hand and he raised the weapon, bracing himself to swing down as hard as he possibly could on her head after he'd punched her in the mouth to slow her down.

He could see the figure of a man through the trunks of the trees that were in front of him and Castle slowed down, wondering where Beckett was. He saw the chef throwing a stone, and following it, he moved out of the way of an oak that was blocking his view, in time to see his wife stumble to the ground as she was hit. He hurried to the tree line, waiting for the right moment as his aim wasn't going to work to stop the man. But when the chef was raising his arm high with the branch in it, he knew he had to give up his cover.

Bringing the gun to his shoulder Castle called out, "Hey chef!" to get the man's attention to stop him in time before he was able to hit Beckett a second time. When the head chef was looking up at him he looked down the sight and aimed for the man's left shoulder, not intending to hurt him but needing to make sure he knew he would shoot.

Quentin didn't stop after he saw it was the man he'd thrown into his shed and he raised the branch to hit Beckett as she'd been trying to see who'd spoken.

The second the branch moved, Castle fired and found himself flying back onto the snow as the butt of the shotgun slammed into his shoulder, nearly knocking him senseless.

When the head chef was struck with the bullet Beckett saw an explosion of blood coming out of the center of his chest and as his body jerked back, she was getting free of him. She heard groaning and looked over at her savior, seeing her husband sitting up and grasping at his right shoulder in pain. "Rick!" she cried, not caring that it sounded as if that was echoing across the woods. She scrambled to her feet and rushed down the slight rise, running to Castle and throwing her arms around him as tightly as she could.

"Ah! My shoulder love," he groaned rocking back with the force of her hug.

"Were you injured?" Beckett asked, touching his cheek. "I thought you were dead, I-"

"Ms. Beckett?" Morrissey said, running up behind them and interrupting her. "Mr. Castle?" he asked, completely flabbergasted when he saw the man.

"Your head chef is dead," Beckett said. "And my husband needs a doctor," she said, having cupped the back of his head then, feeling the bump there.

"I'm fine and Hill is dead too, I found him in-" Castle started to say as he stood. "Wait," he said to his wife who was trying to stop him. "You said the chef is dead? I aimed for his shoulder."

"That's my shotgun," Morrissey said after he'd turned and gestured to the trees.

Looking past the resort owner, Beckett saw some men coming with a stretcher and said, "How did he get your shotgun?"

Watching the group of men going to his former head chef, Morrissey explained after Beckett led Castle back they way they'd come, "There was a break in at my cabin and now I know who it was. And if you're wondering about the shotgun, I'll let the police know that it's… oh, Detective, this way." There were a few policemen suddenly in front of them and he directed them after the paramedics. "The gun pulls to the left, I rarely use it for skeet shooting anymore, more a display," he said hurriedly as he went to the detective to speak to him.

"How are you hurt?" Beckett asked since she and her husband were alone. "Recoil?"

"Every definition of that word," Castle said, gritting his teeth together as he tried to move his right arm and it exploded in pain. He then wrapped his other arm around her and murmured, "I didn't know if you were dead love; shot."

"I thought you'd been in that explosion," Beckett whispered as the detective was coming over to them then.

As his wife pressed her cheek to his quickly Castle was startled to feel her skin was damp to the touch and he held her closer; only able to imagine what she had been through the night before.

* * *

"You're set ma'am," the doctor said after the nurse had finished cleaning the scratches on Beckett's hands. "I would take it easy with that bump though and if you feel your headache isn't going away then please seek medical assistance right away."

"Thank you," she murmured. "Can I go see my husband now or do I need to wait?"

"No you can go now, but we'll ask that you wait for us to get a wheelchair," the doctor replied. "And also that you wait until his doctor says it's okay to go in to him."  
With a nod, Beckett stayed on the bed she'd been sitting on the edge of to receive the treatment she needed for her hands and the bump on her head, which was a lot smaller than Castle's she knew but was still painful to the touch. Thinking of her husband, she looked over impatiently where the nurse had left and spotted the woman walking back to her with the chair. She didn't wait, getting off the bed to sit on it before it had even reached her. She was a little annoyed in having to be pushed down to a room on the end with more beds inside, just managing to catch a glimpse of her husband.

As she waited for the nurse to speak with the doctor working on Castle, Beckett leaned back, remembering what the detective had told her as the nurse had started to clean her up. Quentin had lost his two best friends on the thirteenth of November six years before, Jessie Cass and Andy Wilkerson, because of a fire that Quentin himself had accidentally set in the fireplace of their apartment in Toronto when he'd been drunk and was the only survivor of. So she knew it was a sick kind of atonement; killing Dennis and Lake, as his friends had been engaged at the time when they'd perished. She sighed, wondering what the chef had been telling himself to justify killing her and Castle. She knew setting up Hill and his death had been in part because the man was getting too close to him, so assumed it was that for them too, since it was the only thing she could guess that would make sense in the former head chef's mind. There was also the fact that Quentin and Hill had never really gotten along which the kitchen staff had told the police. And the reason she and Castle hadn't narrowed on him was because his information had him listed at six four, taller than they'd been looking for.

"Ms. Beckett?" the nurse said, getting her attention. She smiled when her head shot up and told her, "You can go see him now."

Though she wanted to run to her husband, Beckett had to wait for the woman to push her over to Castle's bed and once she'd nodded to her she turned to him saying, "You need to stay?"

"No, they're going to bring me some clothes right now," Castle said before she was striding to him and grasping him tightly in her arms.

"I love you Rick," Beckett breathed, not surprised at the tears that burned the backs of her eyes as she'd thought she'd never be able to say that again.

"I love you too Kate," Castle said as she pulled away from him.

"So the bump on your head?" Beckett asked, reaching behind to touch the back of it.

"Ow, quit it," Castle said jokingly before he shuddered as her fingers were very gentle on him. "It's fine, I was unconcious for a little… or a while after some debris hit me after the explosion, not sure. But you know what," he said as he looked around for a moment.

"What?" Beckett asked, glancing as well. She never got an answer to her question, as her husband was suddenly kissing her, holding her tightly to him. She felt a sudden thrill that made her heart start to race, as she'd obviously thought that she was never going to get to do that either. So it wasn't that surprising when she kissed him lightly on the lips as he started to pull away and repeated that a few more times before she pressed her cheek to his. "Thank you, for saving my life," she said.

"Always, love," Castle said. "And you know you saved mine."

Beckett looked at him in some confusion, but his doctor came over to speak with them, and as soon as her husband was in the spare scrubs they'd brought, she and Castle left. They were taken back to the resort in the detective's car and as they pulled away from the curb she leaned her head on his shoulder. When she wrapped her arms tightly around him he did the same to her; as if they didn't want to let go of one another since they'd found each other again.


	13. Nothing Separates My Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Sat Singing by George Harrison, from the original rejected track listing for his album Somewhere in England.

"Kate, how long do I have to keep this on," Castle jokingly whined as he could hear his wife coming up the stairs.

"You can take it off now," Beckett replied, walking over to the bed. She smiled when her husband froze, so she quickly took off the ice pack he'd had on his bruised shoulder, wincing when she saw the contusion. "Any better?" she asked him. She saw his gaze had gone down to her legs so she made him look up at her asking, "Any better?"

"Slightly… it's numb," Castle said, wrapping his left arm around her and pulling her close. "You sure you want to go to dinner?"

"You said you were okay with it," Beckett told him simply. "But if you don't want to go then that's fine; I wouldn't mind having a meal with you alone."

"Why don't we go to this one and the rest of our stay we'll eat in our room?" Castle asked her.

That made an idea come to her suddenly and Beckett smiled and nodded before she grabbed his shirt from the closet. "You're moving pretty well," she told him as she watched him move his right arm carefully to slip it into the shirt.

"Which is a relief, but I'm going to guess it's partly because of the ice," Castle told her. He watched her as she buttoned the shirt for him before he reached up to take her hands in his. "Let's not stay too long," he said seriously, pressing his lips to her fingers.

"I don't think it's going to be that enjoyable anyways," Beckett replied, feeling his arm snake around her waist.

"Why?" Castle asked as she slipped away to grab his jacket.

"I snapped at the Maxtones earlier," Beckett sighed. "They were trying to stop me from investigating, to try and find who I thought had killed you. I was pretty rude."

"They had to understand," Castle said quickly. "You just lost your husband and they were interfering slightly."

"That's true," Beckett said after pausing for a moment. She helped him into the blazer and said, "Before we come back though, we should do one thing."

"Baths?" Castle asked teasingly.

"I'm not sharing you like that now," Beckett protested though she was smiling at his tone. "No, skate, we never did that at night. I'm hoping-"

"We're alone," Castle finished for her. When she nodded he watched her straighten his lapels and told her, "You look gorgeous love. And well worth the effort of going through a night in a cold, cold shack to come back to."

"I don't think flattery is needed, you know how happy I was to see you," Beckett replied, watching his hand slide down her side. She had to smile again at his reaction to her dress, another black cocktail dress as she had placed her aquamarine necklace back on for him. Its bateau neckline was filled in with lace at the top and it fell to her knees, which she could see Castle was looking past to her legs. "Rick," she said in a mockingly stern tone of voice.

"I'm looking at your shoes," he told her quickly, looking up at her. "And kind of wishing I could have put them on for you."

Beckett leaned forward and kissed him gently, wanting to make it much deeper than that but knowing they had to go. "I'll try and do better later," she whispered when they'd parted.

"Well, you know what Yoda said to Luke," Castle pointed out, clutching the small of her back almost. "There is no try, only do."

"I meant that in the context of if you were up to it," Beckett said, rolling her eyes though she was amused by that.

"Oh, well in that case yes. But one thing," Castle said before they shared another kiss; that one quick. "I'm not going to drink, don't want to be out of it as the night goes on."

With a quick nod in agreement to that, Beckett pulled out her phone and called Martha to make sure that she and the girls were ready to talk to them.

"Are they eating?" Castle asked when she went to the tablet on the table.

"They just finished," Beckett replied. "The girls are apparently clamoring to talk to us."

"Yeah, that one day might have worried them," Castle said as he sat down on the couch as she went over to him. "Hey Julia, Eliza," he said when the girls appeared on the screen then.

"Hi Mommy, Daddy," Julia said first before her sister echoed her.

"We see you now," Eliza said then.

"Sorry about yesterday," Beckett said; guessing that Eliza was trying to ask about the night before and them not calling. "But it snowed pretty hard, and we couldn't call."

"Was it a blizzard?" Julia asked.

"No, but it was close," Castle said, reaching over and squeezing his wife's hand. "But we have a lot to get caught up on, so tell us what you two did yesterday and today."

"Start with school first," Beckett said to Julia.

"We did more reading and we did writing too," the little girl said. "It was the same stuff."

"You got caught reading during your lessons today didn't you?" Castle asked. When Julia flushed deeply he said, "Sweetheart, you know you're not supposed to."

"I know, but I got to the best place in the book," Julia said. "Please don't make me leave my book at home tomorrow too."

"Too?" Beckett asked.

"It was yesterday," Martha said, sitting behind the girls again. "And I kept her book here for today."

"Was she caught reading at all today?" Beckett asked. When her mother in law shook her head no she said, "Then you can take it tomorrow Julia. But remember, only read it when you have your reading time in class."

"I know," Julia breathed out. "But yesterday was fun, Mari came over and so did Dawn, we played dress up."

"And your sister?" Castle asked.

"Hi," Eliza said, waving at him.

"Did you play with your sister?" Castle then directed to her, unable to help smiling at her.

"She did," Julia said with a smile, watching her little sister nodding. "And we had a lot of fun."

"What about today?" Beckett asked.

"School was the same and then after Eliza and I did artwork with Gram," Julia explained.

"Can we see what you made?" Castle asked.

"No, no, no," Eliza said, shaking her head furiously but smiling.

"We're leaving it for when you two come back," Martha said.

"What about you, what did you do?" Julia asked.

Squeezing his wife's hand as they'd already thought of how to answer the question they knew their daughters would have, Castle said, "We stayed inside for a long time yesterday, because of the snow. Read a lot. And then today we were able to go out a little, since the storm stopped. But we mostly stayed in to read again."

"I wanna read Daddy," Eliza told him, pouting a little.

"When we come home sweetie," Beckett assured her.

"Are you going to dinner now Mommy? I can see the dress you got," Julia said, noticing the lace over her mother's upper chest.

"We are but we wish we could have eaten with you," Beckett assured her.

"When you come home," Eliza said smiling widely.

"True and we have Thanksgiving coming up too," Castle replied. "So we have that to look forward to."

"Alright, we'll let you two go," Martha said, standing up. "But try and call us tomorrow okay?" she had to add as the girls made disappointed sounds.

"We will, we're looking forward to that," Beckett said. "Okay, I love you both Julia, Eliza and we'll see you tomorrow."

"She's right, about seeing you tomorrow. And I love you two," Castle said to them.

"Bye Mommy, Daddy, have fun at dinner. And I love you!" Julia cried.

"Love you Mommy, Daddy," Eliza said simply before she waved at them.

Breathing out as she turned off the screen once she and her husband had said goodbye to Martha, Beckett turned to him and said, "She'll suspect something."

"Well, we'll tell them what happened," Castle commented. "On Thanksgiving night, long after the girls are asleep."

Nodding once to that, Beckett got up with him and they went around the couch to the closet where she helped him with his coat before she threw her own on. After she put on her scarf she paused and told him, "Yours was destroyed; Quentin put it on Hill's body."

"Of course, which is why you thought I was dead," Castle said with a sigh. "Well, tell the girls to get me another scarf," he said, looking irritated as he'd loved the gift from their daughters. "But don't mention why of course."

"Of course, let's go," Beckett said, trying to tug the collar of his coat up as high as it would go. She then took his hand and they left the cabin, walking through the remaining snow to the hotel.

Holding his wife as close as he could eventually, Castle pressed his lips to the side of her head, studying the bun she'd put her hair up into.

"What?" Beckett asked him with a slight smile.

"Not sure how I'll get that down later," Castle murmured.

"We'll figure something out," Beckett said, a little laughingly as her husband was so serious. She wrapped her arms around his and stayed against him as they neared the building, both of them avoiding the ruins of the boathouse though they were shrouded in darkness by then; neither of them wanting the reminder looking in the direction of the lake.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett, good to see you both," the concierge at the desk said as they walked into the lobby and went over to drop off their things.

"And it begins," Castle said under his breath as the man was staring at him.

Rubbing his arm, Beckett was surprised to see Perkins meet them at the door of the ballroom and she smiled saying, "You don't need to apologize-"

"Oh no, I realize that, I'm actually the interim activities director," the now former bellman said with a proud smile. "And since everything has gone back to normal… I'm letting everyone coming in know you can sit where you please. No restrictions on tables… though everyone's still sitting with the people from the same floor…" he said as he looked at the tables behind him in a little consternation.

"I think people have made friends," Castle said.

The two started to walk into the room when Perkins called out, "I'm glad to see you're alive Mr. Castle."

Waving over his shoulder, Castle really wished the man hadn't said that as loudly as he had since the others in the room who'd heard that were looking over at him. He was going to walk to the table where they'd been sitting for meals, when his wife tugged on his arm. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"No, I'm just wondering if I should apologize to them," Beckett said, glancing at the Maxtones who had looked over at them but then went back to speaking to one another. "Well, I should say that I need to, but I'm not sure if they'd want to hear it."

"We should see," Castle said, leading her over to the couple.

"Chelsea, William?" Beckett asked carefully. She felt a sense of relief when the two looked at her and she quickly said, "I'm so sorry for the way I talked to you earlier. I know you were trying to help but…"

"It's okay," Chelsea replied with a sigh. "We were butting in and we had no right to tell you to stop. And I've thought about it and I realized that if I was in your situation and I was able to investigate… I would likely be trying to find whoever killed my husband. But luckily things turned out alright for you both."

"Yeah, they did," Castle said, glancing around them at the people still staring at him until they caught him looking at them.

"That's probably going to happen for a while," William said as he watched Castle. "It's not every day you see someone coming back from the dead."

"That's a good point," Castle said, feeling his wife squeeze his hand tightly. "So, mind sitting with us tonight for dinner?"

"Not at all," William said after looking to his wife for confirmation.

"Mr. Morrissey," Beckett said, noticing the man walking up to them with a woman on his arm; his wife she recognized.

"It's great to see you two back, you're both alright?" the owner asked, shaking their hands.

"We're good," Castle said as he helped Beckett into her chair. "And we enjoyed the little tour of your property we had."

"I'm sure in spring it's beautiful," Beckett said quickly as the man looked startled at the joke about hers and Castle's trek through the woods.

"It is," Morrissey's wife said. "I don't think we've met, my name is Clarissa."

After they and the Maxtones had introduced themselves to her, Castle and Beckett had to order their food and once the waiter had made his way around to the other side of the table, Beckett was talking to the owner.

"Is there going to be dancing tonight?" she asked him.

"There will be, Hill always loved to set that up," Morrissey said. "He was a romantic at heart, which is why I thought he might have motive to kill the first two," he told them in a low voice; as Castle was listening. "But before that I'll give a toast to the man."

"Good idea," Castle commented. "Will you hire someone else?"

Glancing at Perkins who was talking with the DJ at one of the other tables, Morrissey smiled and said, "If he wants the job, he can have it."

"So what are you two going to do now?" Chelsea asked Beckett then after she'd gotten her attention by putting her hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm not sure," she started to say in reply.

"Actually, we're going to talk about that later tonight," Castle said quickly, leaning over his wife slightly to look at the woman. "But for tonight, have a nice dinner and dance." That reminded him of something, and he turned to Morrissey to ask him a question when the man beat him to it.

"I'm going to test out one of my cooks, she's actually a master chef, better than Quentin," Morrissey said. "Her name is Mabel Buckley and she's from Vancouver, from the restaurant Bennie's which is very famous. So we'll be in good hands tonight."

"Have you been to Vancouver?" Beckett asked.

"Many times, I have family there," Clarissa said.

"We've been too," Chelsea said.

"Are you planning on going there?" William asked the two.

"One day, when our youngest is a little older," Beckett said. "We're not really travelling that heavily at the moment, just a few trips here and there."

"Like where?" Clarissa asked. "I'm just curious as we're planning to adopt a year old boy from Cambodia."

"I hope that works out," Castle said. At the woman's nod he then said, "We've been to Jamaica and Antigua; that was a kind of celebratory trip after our daughter was born."

"She was almost eight months," Beckett pointed out. "And then we've gone to San Francisco, but that was a while ago and we couldn't do too much. So we decided to just stick to the city for now until she's at least three."

"She's how old now?" Clarissa asked. She was a little surprised when she was handed a phone by Castle, but saw a picture of two girls on it saying, "These are your daughters?"

"Julia and Eliza," Castle replied, unable to help sounding proud. "And next year in March they'll be nine and three."

"So next summer you'll be going on a trip," Chelsea said.

"More than likely," Beckett said with a nod. "Though we might try and go somewhere for Spring Break…?"

"I think we need to see about that," Castle replied. "I was thinking of going up to your dad's cabin."

"We can try and do that," Beckett said with a nod. "But, what we'd like to hear now is more about Vancouver, tell us where would be good places to go, where kids might like to visit-"

"Good places to eat," Castle interjected as he took his phone back from Clarissa.

"Speaking of eating…" Morrissey began as the waiters were coming around with their food. "Well, if we're talking about kids the first place I would take them would be to Science World."

The discussion about the city on Canada's west coast took up the entire meal but by the time the resort owner had left to make his toast while the tables were cleared, Castle and Beckett had a better idea of where they were going to take their daughters and the rest of their family if they were with them too. They joined the other guests in front of the DJ, where Morrissey was standing, waiting for more waiters to hand out glasses of champagne before he started to speak.

"Before the music begins, I'd just like to have a toast for Ronald Hill, who was our activities director for the last two years," Morrissey said. "He was dedicated to his job and I know wherever he is tonight, he'll be glad to see us continuing to follow his plans he laid out for this resort. To Hill."

Castle and Beckett drank the champagne in their glasses before they went onto the dance floor where the others couples had already begun to dance. Wrapping their arms around each other, they quickly started to sway at the same time they pressed their foreheads together.

"Okay?" Beckett whispered.

"Yeah, the pain isn't as bad as it was when I got hurt," Castle replied. "But don't ask me to try and break dance."

"I wasn't planning on it," Beckett said wryly. "How did you know that I wanted to talk about our plans, since you mentioned that."

"I had a guess," Castle told her simply. "Plus… well, let's wait to talk about it in the cabin where we're alone."

Nodding, Beckett pulled away from him for a moment as the music stopped playing, but when the next song began she was back with him, looking over his shoulder for a moment.

"What?" Castle asked her, looking at her gaze but unable to follow it.

"I think they'd like to speak to you, ask what happened," Beckett replied, holding onto him a little tighter. "Do you want to dance with anyone else?"

"Not really," Castle said. "Because of that."

"You know Chelsea and Clarissa wouldn't ask," Beckett pointed out. "They didn't at dinner."

"Do you want me to dance with someone else?" Castle asked in amusement as he pulled away that time to look at her.

"No," Beckett said shortly. "But I don't want to stop you if you do."

"You can rest assured, I don't want to dance with anyone tonight but you," Castle told her. "But we don't have to stay long do we?"

Moving her head back enough to look into his eyes, Beckett's lips curled up in a slight smile and she said, "I don't know, your head must be hurting a little now I would guess."

"Good guess, one more song after this," Castle told her. As he held her to him then he felt her nod and he kissed her temple as a second song started without much of a pause between it and the one preceding it.

After they'd stopped swaying a few minutes later, Beckett held her husband's hand tightly as they went over to the Maxtones and Morrisseys to say goodbye to them. Luckily no one tried to ask them to stay longer and after she'd asked the resort owner something quickly, they were going to the skating rink. "You think you can get those on?" she asked as they were walking over to the stall to get their skates.

"I should be okay," Castle said. "Of course we'll need to see," he said after they had their skates. He followed her over to a bench and there bent over to take off his shoes before putting on each skate. He grunted slightly at the motion of stretching his arms to reach the laces, and glanced over at his wife to see if she'd noticed that. "It's alright," he quickly said. "Just a brief flash of pain."

"As long as it's brief," Beckett said though she believed him. She was first to finish and she stood to wait for him when he urged her to go ahead. She was a little doubtful, but when he smiled up at her she sighed and headed over to the ice, holding onto the wall as she watched him.

"Cold, love?" Castle asked as he stood up and went to her.

" _I'm hoping to warm up later_ ," Beckett said simply with a smile at him.

Shuddering in pleasure at that, and her Irish, Castle was quick to skate after her, catching up to her easily with his longer legs. He took her hand and said, "Now we definitely have the place to ourselves."

"Not quite," Beckett said as they came to the stall for the skates and the worker inside waved at them momentarily before sitting down.

"Still, it's nice," Castle told her.

Beckett smiled at that and entwined her fingers with her husband's tightly before he was taking her hand and making her tuck it into his arm. "So you're cold," she told him teasingly.

"Not in the slightest," Castle scoffed. "I'm worried about you."

"You heard what I said earlier," Beckett parried. "You don't want to make sure I'm warm in the cabin?"

"I do," Castle said as he studied her once they were skating straight again. "I'm looking forward to it actually, last night I was way too cold." When he didn't get a response from his wife at that he looked her, surprised to see that she looked a little serious. "Kate?" he asked carefully.

"I'm fine, later," Beckett murmured, looking up at him before she let go and came to a stop. She scratched a line as deeply as she could in the ice and said with a smile, "Whoever gets back around to this is the winner."

"What- hey!" Castle said as she took off ahead of him. He was quick to follow and he overtook her, managing to make it to that line just before she did. When he'd crossed it he turned to her and took his wife in his arms as she skated straight into them. "So what do I get?" he asked once he ran into the wall behind him and they stopped moving.

"The knowledge of coming in first," Beckett said simply before she skated away.

"Oh no," Castle said, catching up to her and taking her hand, making her stop. " _Since you won't say what I get, I get to name that prize_ ," he said, looking into her eyes.

" _And do you know what you want_?" Beckett asked him.

" _You know already, and it's us love. We'll be alone in our cabin and we can explore that however we want_ ," Castle said, loving the way her cheeks became very slightly red before she looked away from him. But he knew that was because she was smiling very happily and didn't want him to realize how much she was looking forward to that. So he took her hand, tucking it in his arm before she held to the upper part of it and they began to skate again.

They only made another lap around the rink before Beckett made her husband stop with her. She didn't say anything, or give him any explanation before she wrapped her arms around him tightly and kissed him deeply. She was pleased when he responded almost immediately, his hands on the small of her back pulling her against his body. She moaned softly, not even able to suppress that as she felt a flash of heat race all through her, making her feel as if she was on fire. She pulled away from him when she had to breathe and she cupped his cheeks in her hands, nuzzling his lips with her own. She smiled when they kissed again but when they parted that time she murmured to him, "Should we go?"

"Hold on," Castle said, coming back to himself. He made them skate around the rink a few more times before he said, "Now we can."

Beckett felt a little calmer and she knew that that was what her husband had planned. She was thankful to him for that as she had to talk to him about a number of things, not just their plans. She smiled when he started to kneel in front of her at the bench where their shoes were, but she told him, "Not this time Rick, sit down."

"Well, at least you know I wanted to," Castle replied with a sigh. He smiled at his wife as she nudged against him, and that quickly reminded him of when she'd done that in the past. He couldn't stop himself and he reached over her, cupping her cheek to turn her face to his so he could kiss her. He was fairly chaste, though he lingered, and felt her respond to him when he tilted his head to the side. When they'd ended the kiss, they pulled away from one another and he breathed out hard. "I think we need to talk-" he started to say.

"You're right, we do," Beckett told him quickly. "So we should head back now." She watched him hurriedly start to switch the black skates for his shoes, and smiled to herself for a moment before she turned back to her own shoes and got the heels back on. As she was finishing tying the ribbons on the last heel, she nearly jumped when her husband's hand ran up the front of her calf. She had to smile again as she glanced at him and told him, "I thought we needed to talk?"

"You can't begrudge me this," Castle protested before he squeezed her leg and then helped her stand up before he took the ice skates back to the stall. Going back to his wife he slowed down, watching as she looked up at the sky in the glass roof. He had to control himself to not run up to her, and consoled himself with the sight of her, her head turned up and neck exposed. Making himself hear his wife's question again, he walked the rest of the way to her without thinking of anything else but getting back to the cabin. "Ready?" he asked once he got to her.

"Yeah," Beckett said with a smile as she looked at him and saw how serious he was. When he took her hand her smile disappeared and she walked with him as quickly as she possibly could out to the lobby where they collected their things. She threw on her coat, buttoning it so rapidly she nearly pulled one off in her haste. She glanced at Castle but felt relieved to see he was focusing on his own things. Calming herself down she finished by putting on her gloves last and she wrapped her hand around his upper arm as they said goodnight to the concierge and stepped out into the cold night.

Since the walk was even colder than before, Castle tried to hold his wife as close to him as he could to make sure she stayed warm. He was relieved when he saw the cabin in front of them and almost rushed Beckett to it before she stopped him. "Sorry," he said quickly as he let her in after unlocking the door. "Coffee?" he asked.

"I'll make some tea," Beckett told him as she helped him with his coat again. "Chamomile."

"You want to sleep?" Castle asked incredulously.

Glancing at him Beckett didn't respond to that and she went over to the kitchen, seeing her hands slightly shaking as she started to fill two mugs with water. She then jumped when one of Castle's hands covered hers and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before she told him, "You couldn't sit on the couch until I was finished."  
"Not really," Castle said running his hand from the middle of her back to her waist, wrapping it around her.

"Okay, but you need to let me move around," Beckett said since she needed to go to the microwave. She was surprised when Castle didn't try to stop her, or follow her, and she watched him walk back to the couch. A second later, the fire started and she smiled, remembering when they'd made love there two nights before. "You want to stay down here tonight again?" she asked him with a sly smile as the water was heating up.

"We'll see," Castle said, recalling that too as he stood in front of the fire.

Beckett quickly finished the tea, going over to him as she told him, "I'm thinking that maybe we should go."

"So have I," Castle said, not too surprised at that. "Go home?"

"No, I still want to go to the B&B, but could we possibly go earlier than our reservation?" Beckett asked him.

"We can try," Castle replied. "I'll call in the morning and we'll see if we can get there tomorrow night."

"That would be nice," Beckett said with a smile. She sighed and then said, "I hate to admit it but I'm not that eager to stay here."

"No, I'm with you, I look over at those ruins I'm right back in there seeing Hill's strangled, dead body in the rowboat and the bomb telling me I've got ten seconds to live," Castle said. "Did you see the body?" he asked suddenly.

"I did and it was pretty badly burned," Beckett told him. She bit her lower lip for a moment in the memory before she finally said, "I didn't stay once Morrissey showed me the piece of your scarf, I couldn't…"

Wrapping his free arm around her as tightly as he could, Castle wasn't surprised when she put her mug on the mantel, grabbing onto him. He did the same with his cup and held her more securely against his body as he said, "I am sorry." When she looked up at him he explained, "I shouldn't have gone; I should have stayed here with you."

"How could you have known what was going to happen?" Beckett asked him simply. "You were just planning on talking to Hill." She then paused and asked him, "Why did you go there anyway?"

"I noticed gasoline in the snow, it was a strange color against the white," Castle said. "If that goose hadn't flown up from the lake I would never have seen it."

"And Quentin would have gotten away with murder," Beckett replied. She said, looking a little confused, "I wonder why the explosion didn't destroy Hill's body, he had to have been planning for that."

"I'm thinking maybe the water under the rowboat helped it from disappearing?" Castle suggested. "I don't remember much from that after I got hit in the head of course."

"Of course," Beckett said with a smile, though she was a little surprised to see her husband looking at her a little seriously. "What?" she asked as he didn't stop.

"Come here," Castle said, grabbing her mug and handing it to her before he got his. He led her to the couch by the hand and sitting with her on it he said, "When I woke up in that shack, I was pretty cold," beginning with that as he didn't want to start right out with what he really needed to say.

"Yeah, I don't think shacks really have much in the way of insulation," Beckett replied, looking at him closely. "What are you trying to tell me?" she then asked, feeling a little apprehensive just in the way he was acting.

"I couldn't remember," Castle said simply and quickly.

"Remember where you were?" Beckett asked hesitatingly, not sure what context he meant by the word remember.

"Remember who I was," Castle said. "I lost my memory when that… whatever the hell it was hit the back of my head Kate."

"But you obviously got it back," Beckett told him. "You knew me; you know Julia and Eliza… Alexis?" she asked worriedly.

"I do, and my mother, your dad, who I call Jim," Castle said. "I also remember telling you when we first met that you could spank me."

Trying to fight a smile at that, Beckett then grew serious as she asked him, "How did you get everything back… you did right?"

"I did," Castle said. "But one thing, by the time I did my earliest memory was my mother finding me reading on my own and making me help her with scripts?"

"That's your first memory," Beckett said with a nod, slight relief in hearing that. "You told me that-"

"In Ireland," Castle said at the same time as her. "When we were on our honeymoon. So everything's set."

"You just remembered everything?" Beckett asked him then.

"No, I had some help," Castle told her as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He showed her the background screen and said, "That's how I got my name. And then this made me remember you. It was pretty instantaneous and when I saw the ring I remembered you're my wife. Looking at the pictures of the girls, I remembered them pretty quickly."

When he looked a little perturbed then, Beckett took his hand and asked him, "Did you not remember their names?"

"No, I did, I couldn't remember Alexis' name," Castle said guiltily. "I knew she was my daughter but her name came to me later. You know, I had flashbacks as I was looking at some of these pictures but when they dealt with her, my mother and your dad, there were blanks, as if someone had pressed the mute button. It was eerie. But I know them all now, everyone; the boys in the city, Lanie and Jenny, our godson, Tommy. Everybody's back here," he said, tapping his head. "But what's more important is that you're here and you were the first I remembered. It's why I told you, you saved my life Kate," he said somberly as he then took her hand, squeezing it gently.

Beckett started to speak, but she found that for a moment she couldn't quite say the words. But as she watched her husband lean down to press his lips to the back of her hand, before turning it over to kiss her palm, she had to tell him. "I told you that I thought you were dead," she began. When he didn't say anything, only nodded to her, she continued with, "I gave up."

Castle was going to comment on that, but then stopped himself, as he didn't think she wanted him to scoff at that idea judging by the way she looked just then. "Is that why you came back here?" he asked hesitantly.

"I was a little in shock then," Beckett replied to that. "And when I came back I realized I would have to go through the rest of my life without you when I didn't find you here." She thought for a moment about how to word things and told him, "I thought about having to raise Julia and Eliza without you, having to tell them and your mother and Alexis about you…"

Taking both their mugs to place them on the table on his side of the couch, Castle wrapped his arm around her firmly, pulling her close. "You don't have to keep going. I get the idea."

"No, you need to hear," Beckett told him. "I thought that…" she said before she trailed off, wanting to tell him about that moment when she'd realized what the ache in her chest was. She then continued in a slight rush, telling him about that and she finished by saying, "I knew I was going to be going through the motions, it wasn't going to be the same without you. And I understood then why my dad started drinking; it numbed the pain."

Castle by then was embracing her to him firmly, pressing his lips to the side of her head as he knew how hard it was for her to admit to him what she'd gone through that night. As he listened to her story, he felt guilty again but when she finished with her remembering the day before the wedding and the picture of him with their daughters on Eliza's blanket, he pushed that aside as he knew she was feeling a little unsure of herself as she got up then to take their mugs to the kitchen though they hadn't finished drinking the tea. "You do realize," he said as he was quick to follow her. "That we're fully each other's lives now."

Smiling, as it was something she'd been able to realize pretty quickly the long night before, Beckett turned to him and whispered, "You're the love of my life Rick, and I've never had so much pain before at the loss of someone I love. Not even my mother." She stroked his cheeks and then said as she was kissing him, "But I can't lose you, I can't lose my husband or the father of my children."

"I'll try and be more careful," Castle promised her as he held her to him, his hands spanning her waist. "Because you realize you're the same for me; the love of my life. And I've never thought about any woman in that way so you know."

Nodding, Beckett pressed her cheek to his and murmured, "Which is probably why were as good together as we are."

"Exactly," Castle said simply before he made her tilt her head up to him so he could kiss her. He kept that simple but made it a sensuous kiss at the same time so he could feel her however he could in that moment. " _I love you_ Kate," he said when they had parted, breathing a little hard.

" _I love you too_ Rick," Beckett replied before she was kissing him that time. She held onto him, nearly clutching at him before she broke off the kiss to breathe. She then pulled him over to the fire and sat down with him on the couch, both of them meeting for yet another kiss before they had gotten settled where they sat.

Holding her, Castle could feel her arousal almost in the way she kissed him back, the way she was wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He groaned as he remembered the night before, his dreams of her, and he had to break off the kiss saying, "You remembered us didn't you?"

Knowing by us he meant their lovemaking, Beckett quickly said, "I couldn't stop seeing us right here, you fucking me until I was coming, I think that would have been the most erotic memory of my life."

"It's not?" Castle asked, touching her bun carefully as he tested his right arm.

"We have a lot more chances to make more of those kinds of memories. And I want to feel you alive completely," Beckett said, smiling at the end of that.

"Completely naked?" Castle suggested, since he knew that was said with some slight teasing.

Giving an exaggerated sigh, Beckett took his hand and pulled him up so they could head to the stairs telling him, "As you wish."

Stopping her before they reached the staircase, Castle leaned over her to kiss her neck as close to the start of the neckline of the dress as he could before he told her, "No, not me, both of us."

Smiling as she turned to him, Beckett just tugged on his hand until they were going up to the bedroom. Inside it she wasn't too surprised to feel Castle's hand around her waist as he turned around her, holding her closely to him before they kissed. She moaned softly in pleasure at the touch of his lips before she was parting hers for his tongue. They kept that up for a long time before he was slowly moving away and she said, "I'm a little concerned I should tell you before we do anything else."

"My shoulder's fine," Castle said shortly before he leaned down to kiss her. He sighed when she stopped him and said, "Okay, then what do you want me to do? Or what do you want to do? Tie my right arm to my side because I really don't think that's going to do much for my desirability."

"No," Beckett said, rolling her eyes slightly. "I want you to promise me that whatever position-"

"Positions," Castle quickly cut her off with.

"Positions," Beckett replied with a sigh. "If you're uncomfortable, just let me know. Don't think it makes you less of a man feeling any kind of pain after what happened. Especially with the bruise you got."

"Well, I don't like feeling like less of a man," Castle began. "But I do like the idea of you taking care of me."

Beckett gave him a look before he was pulling her against him in his distraction and she had little chance to recover before he was crushing his lips to hers. She was luckily able to kiss him in return, before she came back to herself and she tilted her head as they were growing more and more passionate. She had her arms around him but she held onto him tighter when she felt he was running his hands over her back. She moaned into his mouth as he squeezed the small of her back and she pressed against him, feeling his arousal easily when she did so. "I think we need to start," she told him when they'd parted to breathe.

"We can take our time," Castle replied. "We have a lot of it you know."

"Then you wouldn't want to undress?" Beckett asked him.

"You mean you want to just start-" Castle began to say as he knew with them undressed they'd easily slip into making love. But he studied her face and said, "You're teasing me aren't you?"

"I might be," Beckett said as she wrapped her arms around him again and was the one to kiss him. She felt him responding directly as he held onto her a little tightly but she didn't mind, enjoying feeling him before he suddenly pulled away. She gasped slightly under her breath as he was suddenly kissing at her neck, short kisses that made her skin burn directly under his touch. When he looked up at her after he'd stopped she was a little taken aback when her husband made her turn to face him, wondering if he was going to undress her after all.

Though his muscles in his right shoulder strained under the movement, Castle raised his arms and started to undo the bun her hair made, watching it cascade past her shoulders and trying to suppress a shudder at the same time. It was nearly impossible and he debated for a moment if he wanted to get her dress off then. Deciding against it he made her turn back around and before he could move to kiss her again she was pulling the sides of his jacket to get it off of him. He allowed her to but as she was tossing it to the dresser near them he was wrapping his arms around her waist, tugging her to him. "See? Did pretty well with that," he told her.

"I'm having a hard time seeing you supporting your own weight with that arm," Beckett said, touching his shoulder with her fingertips.

"I'll be fine," Castle said simply before he took her lips. He felt her responding quickly, and as soon as she was he was slipping his tongue into her mouth, carefully stroking her own a moment before she began to respond. He held her against him again, shuddering as he was less bulky without his jacket in the way and he could feel her breasts against his chest; making him wonder why he hadn't agreed to her idea of them taking off their clothes first. But feeling the way she was kissing him back, he decided they could wait just a little longer and he threw himself into the kiss.

"I think it's going to be hard to wait anymore," Beckett breathed in pleasure as she felt him moving down to her neck again. He didn't respond to that and she didn't really care that he hadn't as he was carefully sucking the skin above her pulse before he proceeded to nibble at it for what felt like a long time. When he stopped, she cupped his cheeks with her hands and stroked them gently before whispering, "I didn't want to lose this either."

"Neither did I," Castle said seriously. "I had to get back to you love." He pressed his lips over her shoulder through the lace covering it and he murmured, "I had so many memories of us to recall, the way you came to me, our first time… now with us married trying to fulfill that addiction you almost tried to eschew. What made you stop love?" Though he remembered very well the answer to that question, he still asked it, wanting to hear the answer from his wife's lips.

"You know already," Beckett shot back, getting a sudden idea from the way he was looking at her. "Because yes, it was you. But," she told him as she took him over to the end of the bed. "What's making you stop now is really beyond my comprehension."

"Well, just the fact we don't need to jump into bed," Castle said quickly.

"And we won't, don't worry," Beckett assured him, a wide smile on her face. She kissed him but it was very quick as she pulled away to unbutton his shirt. She tried to duck out of the way of his lips as he tried to kiss her again, instead focusing on each one before she could open it and then help him take it off. As they were getting the sleeve off of his right arm she could feel the tension in his body and she pressed a kiss to the back of his shoulder before walking around to him.

Hissing, as after she had discarded his shirt to the floor she started to stroke his bruise with her fingertips, Castle said, "I think I might regret saying that."

"No you won't," Beckett said. "Well, do you remember what you did to me the other night?"

"Yes, very clearly," Castle said, gulping heavily as she leaned over to kiss the bruise that was in the shape of the butt of the rifle. He shuddered hard as she pressed her lips to the edge of it, all the way around until his skin there was literally tingling from the touch. "Kate," he nearly gasped out as she moved over to his chest with her lips.

"Do you want me to stop?" Beckett asked, looking up at him with a smile.

"No, but if you're doing what I did to you… just be careful," Castle said. "I want you to be with me when I come."

Still smiling, Beckett straightened up and said, "I think I will be." She stroked his chest and leaned against him telling him, "I'll make sure I am."

At her tone of voice Castle couldn't resist shaking in pleasure at that and he leaned down, kissing her deeply on the lips before she pushed him away. "But you have to let me undress you at least," he told her as she went down to the fly of his trousers, opening it. "Right? Love?"

"Quiet, I'm enjoying this," Beckett told him. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she wanted to tease him so much that they ended up taking one another roughly; as she knew that was what would most likely happen. But when he leaned down to kiss her cheek she made her decision telling him, "Tomorrow morning."

"Yes… oh, again? Have to say I'm so glad that you don't try to hold yourself back anymore," Castle said, confused momentarily before he realized what she'd meant. "But leaving… we'll figure it out… later," he groaned as she had pulled off the rest of his clothes; with help from him. When her hand curled around his erection he tried to not move, letting her do what she wanted to. But after a few of the up and down motions she made he took her wrist to take her hand off him. He then made her turn around and unzipped her dress, running his hand down her bare back as he became a little breathless.

Beckett could sense what her husband was feeling as it was the exact same as what she was going through simultaneously. She turned back to him as he sat down on the end of the bed and as she grabbed the shoulders of her dress to pull down she couldn't help comment wryly, "So I'm stripping for you now?"

"Well, no music," Castle said immediately as he knew she didn't like doing that kind of stripping for him. "But this way I enjoy a lot you know."

"I do," Beckett replied, smirking a little. "And I enjoy it too," she couldn't help tell him, looking down at his erection. Before he could reply to that, she pulled her dress down to her waist, keeping a close eye on Castle since she wanted to see his reaction to her. She wasn't shocked to find his eyes on her breasts, but was when he broke off his own gaze. "You-" she started to say. But his hands went to hips and she helped him in getting the dress off of them and to the floor. She slapped his hands away from her before he could reach for her panties and took those off herself, going slowly again as she was aware from many times before how much he took pleasure in that.

"Love, come here," Castle said, sending out a quick thanks that he was still alive to experience her again. He pulled her to him and started to stroke her sides, looking up at her and seeing she was watching him. "I know where to go," he told her.

"That I'm aware of," Beckett said, biting her lower lip a little hard as he moved his hands to her breasts. She nearly forgot what she'd planned out in her mind a short time before as he proceeded to carefully stroke the mounds and her nipples which were taut with her arousal. But she soon came back to herself, making him stop by pressing her hands on top of his. When he looked at her in slight irritation she leaned down and kissed him slightly before pulling on his left hand to get him to stand up again.

"So… no bed?" Castle asked before she was wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him. He groaned against her lips as he remembered she was still in her heels and he stroked her hair with one hand while his other pressed the small of her back to hold her close against him.

Beckett could feel in Castle's touch what he was trying to do and she decided to let him continue for a little longer before she slowly pulled away from him. She sat down on the end on the bed and turned so she could put her heel clad right foot up, knowing he was watching without glancing at him for even a second. She had never really taken off her shoes in that exact way but guessed that the sight might be a little erotic, since she knew her husband had a slight obsession with her feet and her hands as well. ' _I think you mean all of you, and it's not merely slightly_ ,' she told herself, blushing a little hard at that. She then allowed herself to look over at him and when she saw how he was, rigid as his eyes followed her fingers uncrossing the ribbons around her leg, she felt her own body react to him. Her heart was pounding roughly and it went straight to her sex which was nearly aching, anticipating him inside of her already.

As his wife took off her other shoe, Castle wasn't sure what was keeping him from falling to the ground. Likely balance, but he also thought it was the fact he could almost feel her urge to stand back up once she was finished. Luckily as soon as she had the heel down on the floor she was getting up and he wanted to reach out to her, but she held her finger up to stop him. "So… torture?" he asked.

"A little, the end result will be worth it," Beckett said, trying to remind him of the night when he'd done the same to her. When he nodded she went to him and pressed her front as close to him as she could, breathing heavily as her nipples brushed against his bare chest. "I think I might be torturing myself too," she commented as he held her loosely while she put enough space between them to run her hands over his bare chest again.

"We like to do that to each other, I find myself enjoying it better than anything that's actually S&M," Castle commented, trying not to start panting on her as her hands were moving in a concentrated rhythm. He couldn't stop himself and leaned down, pressing his lips to the side of her head before she raised it so he could take her lips. He groaned as she managed to beat him, plunging her tongue inside of his mouth. He fought against it, gathering her in his embrace yet again before they were going a little crazy, that kiss breaking off to become a second and then them taking a hurried gasp to plunge themselves into a third kiss. He lost count after that as they were kissing hungrily and repeatedly for a long time. He had to wonder if his wife had minded him stopping her but she didn't try to start up again, so he kept that up until the short breaths they took were not enough.

Smiling up at him as she watched Castle panting for air, Beckett brushed her lips against his before she smoothed down his hair she'd made stand up with her fingers. Once that was done she allowed herself to go down to his neck, kissing here and there until she moved back to look at him, to see his reaction. "No?" she asked with a smile as he looked annoyed.

"No, I mean, wait…" Castle said, trying to remember what he'd wanted to say. "I think we should…"

Beckett laughed softly at the frustrated groan that escaped his lips then and she kissed him again before she put her hands on his chest, sliding them down, watching the way his skin quickly reacted to her touch. She bit her lower lip roughly as she glanced up to his face, seeing his eyes shut tightly as he was trying to withstand the feel of her. She then stroked along him, letting her fingers trace the contours of his chest. She nearly bit into her lip as she felt the muscular planes of his torso; with him playing polo his upper body got a pretty substantial workout and she could attest to the fact that it had done him a lot of good. She then allowed herself to go down further to his erection, taking it in her hand before she carefully brushed her fingertips over it.

Watching her, Castle hadn't been too surprised with her feeling her way over his chest as she'd done; she'd done it many times before. But what was a little bit of a surprise was the fact that her cheeks were becoming redder before she went down to take his length in her hand. He shuddered instantly with her touch there and he leaned down to kiss her again. As compared to the time before, when he was able to get to her lips he kept things a little more calm and was relieved in a way when she let him go. "Can we…?" he asked her as he looked into her eyes.

"Come here," Beckett said with a smile, taking his hand and leading him to his side of the bed. "Sit up," she told him after she'd motioned for him to get on and he hesitated, looking at her questioningly.

Hopping up onto the mattress was a weird sensation, but Castle was too focused on the fact that they were finally getting onto it to worry about what he looked like. He was a little pleased to see the look on Beckett's face; slightly red cheeks again and a smile that she was striving to fight from appearing; before he sat up. He tried to lean back on his hands but his right shoulder protested his muscles being used in that way, so he supported himself on just his left hand. He reached up as his wife climbed onto the bed once she was sure he was ready, pleased to feel that the motion was a lot less strenuous and he held her tightly as she straddled him below his groin. "Still?" he asked, trying not to sound impatient but still having some of that seep into his voice.

Beckett quieted him and leaned over, kissing him a little hungrily as she could feel his arms coming around her. She let him do that until she pulled away from him and then reached down over his chest again. But unlike before she was running her hands straight to his member, taking it in her grasp. She started to slowly stroke him, watching him closely as he closed his eyes tightly in response to her. She leaned over enough to nip at his lower lip when he groaned shortly. She smiled and started to suck on that lip, feeling his hands holding onto her waist tighten in response. Moving away she whispered to him, and when a groan left him she watched him start to move in time with her hands. Though she was going slowly, she had to watch him before she pushed him too far.

Castle wasn't sure why he wasn't losing it, his excitement steadily rising with everything his wife was doing to him. But he was grateful at the same time that he was lasting; forcing himself to watch her as he saw her gaze was down in between them. He was having a little trouble doing what she was allowing him to; thrusting against her hands; with only leverage from his left hand. But he was managing to move and he found that a lot more important as the slight friction he was experiencing was pleasurable but also maddening as he wanted that to be a lot stronger. He exhaled loudly when his wife was suddenly letting go of him and he reached up to her, pushing her hair behind her shoulder before she kissed him. He took over quickly and was able to slip his tongue past her lips, curling it around hers before she was fighting against him a little playfully. At the same time he was reaching down in between them and his hand was soon at her clit. He nearly broke apart their kiss when he felt how swollen it was but managed to slowly move away a few seconds later. He heard her moaning and he murmured to her, " _I think you want me just as much as I want you my love_."

Beckett didn't respond to that, though she felt a rush of pleasure at his Irish, and she pushed herself up as Castle grabbed her hips, sitting up straight to do so. She heard his heavy hiss of pleasure as she took him back in her hand again and then lowered her body onto him. She couldn't stop the short cry of joy at the feel of him in her and she didn't bother to let much time pass before she was starting to move up and down on him, going fast at once. She felt his pleasure as well as heard it, a few curses slipping out of his mouth at the same time he was clutching at the small of her back. When he started to thrust against her she was quick to move her hips down against his to make sure he could follow the pace she'd set. Their hips were soon smacking together and she felt a hot burst of pleasure within her in hearing the bed starting to hit the glass behind it in their rhythm.

Watching his wife, Castle finally couldn't take it and he brought her lips down to him so they could kiss again. It was a rough one as they were matching the way their bodies were moving and he slid his hands up and down her back repeatedly until he went down further from the small of her back. Grasping her ass he took her arching her back in stride, moving a little quicker to make sure they didn't part from each other. When she stopped and relaxed back into him he groaned as the friction between them was already starting to affect him and he told her, "Love, I don't…"

"You can," Beckett whispered against his lips, keeping them close. "Just a little longer Rick, _please_ ," she begged him. She was relieved when he managed to hold out; though he shuddered hard in pleasure at her words; and she suddenly spread her legs further apart, at the same time changing the angle of her hips to try and get her clit to hit his body every time they ran into one another.

His fingers sinking into her skin the next time their bodies met, Castle was surprised he wasn't losing it that second. But something in him managed to last and for a moment he focused himself on the feeling of her around him, thrusting faster he felt with each move down. He held onto her tight then, more than he had been before, and he was soon feeling her breasts moving against him, brushing against his chest. That gave him an idea and he quickly moved, taking her right nipple with his mouth, soon suckling at it as her nails scratched lightly over his scalp in reaction. He drifted to her other breast eventually, hearing the way his wife was reacting to that vocally, and he pulled back, kissing her as hard as he could. He wasn't sure why he'd done that as he'd been enjoying listening to her, but once he started he couldn't stop.

Beckett was feeling much the same way as him, not able to pull away as she was rapidly losing air. When she had to cut things off she stroked his cheeks, cupping them gently before brushing her lips against his a few times. "Love," she whispered to him, a little breathlessly considering their activities. She wasn't sure if he replied to that as she was focusing abruptly on the sensation of him within her, moving with her. The friction of their bodies, his hands running across her, everything she could feel almost tenfold as she was nearly hyper-sensitive and she knew that she was getting in danger of losing it herself. "I…" she started to say, looking at him.

"I know… you can love, come for me, please," Castle whispered to her as they suddenly leaned towards each other, their lips brushing as he spoke. "I want to feel you again," he continued with, holding onto her as tightly as he could in anticipation.

Not making her husband wait all that long Beckett was climaxing, arching her back roughly as she could feel her orgasm racing through every inch of her body. It was as if she'd had an explosion where they were coupled, one that didn't seem to stop and was added to as she could soon feel Castle getting off while he clutched at her as if for dear life. She moved with him, so hard and at just the right angle that her clit was also stimulated and a second climax hit her, nearly making her breathless. She hoped that Castle would join her as she called his name, her voice riddled with ecstasy, and it was with immense joy she felt and heard him doing so. They held onto one another firmly, thrusting until they couldn't move anymore and they were slowing down.

When he and Beckett had stopped, Castle lay back with a muffled thud on the bed before he let out a hiss through his clenched teeth. "I'm fine," he told her quickly, waving off her question if he was okay. But he'd ended up using his right arm as he usually did and he was nearly grinding his teeth together in response to that.

"Want me to get ice?" Beckett asked, getting off him before she smoothed his hair off his forehead.

"If you don't mind," Castle said, raising his head as he watched her get off the bed. When she threw on his shirt he'd worn that night, he shuddered and then closed his eyes when she left, trying not to let the sight of her make him aroused. But it was a next to impossible task and by the time she returned he was nearly fully erect.

"Well, I see you wouldn't mind another go," Beckett teased him as she walked to the bed and could see how he was.

"That depends more on you," Castle told her as he waited for her to take off his shirt before she placed the ice pack on his shoulder after he'd propped himself up with pillows. "But for now…" he hissed as the cold touched his bare skin, luckily she'd put the icepack in a towel but it still reached him.

Taking his other hand, Beckett squeezed it gently before she entwined their fingers and they watched each other. "I'm surprised," she began finally. "That Morrissey talked to me."

"Why would you say that?" Castle asked in surprise.

"After he told me that you were dead, he tried to escort me back here," Beckett said. "And I yelled at him, accusing him that because you and I helped him with the investigation you were dead."

"Obviously he knew you weren't serious; and in distress too considering what happened," Castle told her, letting go of her hand to rub her back gently. "You know," he said when he had watched her for a little. "That didn't make you weak right."

"It was almost how I reacted when my mother died," Beckett said, frowning slightly. "It's despair," she said with a sigh. "It's why I was telling myself in the back of my mind that I was done. Like I told you before, I had given you so much of myself that I couldn't try to go through anything like what we have again."

"So that's why you're admitting to it," Castle said, running his hand around her side to reach up to her cheek, stroking it gently with the backs of his fingers.

"And you losing your memory made you admit it to me," Beckett teased him since she knew he wanted to hear her say again that he was the love of her life.

"Fair enough," Castle said, breathing in deeply as she held his hand in place against her cheek to kiss his palm. After they were holding hands again he said, "I was thinking, tomorrow when we go back to the city, before we head to the B&B, we should go somewhere."

"And are you going to share where that is with me or do I need to wait until tomorrow?" Beckett asked wryly.

"No, I'll tell you, it's that breeder of Irish Wolfhounds I told you about," Castle told her. "You want to pick out a dog from the litter?"

"I'd love to," Beckett said with a smile. "But for now, how does it feel?"

"Engorged," Castle said immediately.

"Rick, your shoulder," Beckett said a little sternly though she couldn't help her heart beating a little faster at that.

"Same," Castle said before he laughed as his wife tried to hit him. "Sorry, a little longer. Do you remember," he then said as she looked at him again. "When we were handcuffed together?"

"Yes and that reminds me, how did you get loose of those handcuffs in the shack?" Beckett asked him as she'd been wondering that.

"Oh, well, at first I tried to search for a wallet on me before I got my memory back, but couldn't find one," Castle told her. "Then later on I remembered my boasting about my new 'whisper-thin' wallet to you and the girls wanting to see it. So I tried again and sure enough it was there. And in it…"

"The handcuff key that I gave you," Beckett said with a smile.

"Right, so I was able to get out and I ran for the hotel as I knew you had to be there or here in the cabin but of course things worked out differently," Castle told her with a slight smile.

"Crazy trip," Beckett said.

"That I'll definitely agree with," Castle told her, nodding his head. "Okay, this is getting too cold," he told her, sitting up and taking off the icepack. He didn't want her to go but in the end had had to, watching as she put his shirt back on. He shuddered as he saw she hadn't even buttoned it when it flew open as she walked and he sat up against the headboard, waiting a little impatiently for her to come back. When he saw her coming up the stairs a short time later, he watched as she tossed his shirt aside, having taken it off while she was coming up the stairs he assumed and he went to the end of the bed, scrambling a little to sit there before he pulled her up to him. "So naughty Kate," he teased her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him.

"No one saw me," Beckett said, rolling her eyes though she wasn't annoyed.

Castle pulled her onto his lap and kissed her before she could say anything to that. He held her close to him, ignoring the slight pang in his already warming bruise he slipped his tongue into her mouth and they were soon curled around each other. He stroked whatever he could reach of her body, feeling her press against him in response to each touch. It served to make him more aroused and when she pulled away from him to climb around him onto the bed he made a sound of protest.

"Well, you said I'm naughty Rick," Beckett said easily with a slight smirk. She lay back in the middle of the bed, propped on his pillows as he turned to her and managed to make his way up to her.

"You are, but now I think we need to celebrate," Castle told her. When his wife asked what he smiled and kissed her deeply, until they needed to part to breathe. "This," he said simply in response to her question and with that he slid into her body, very slowly and carefully until they were fully coupled.

Beckett kissed him hungrily again as he started to move but as opposed to before he was very gentle and slow and she deepened the kiss even further at that. She stroked the back of his head, trying to feel everything he was giving her, feeling him alive with her after the scare she'd had in thinking he was dead. When they needed to breathe she slid her hands down to his cheeks, cupping them as they were pressing their heads together. "I love you Rick, always," she murmured to him.

"I'll always love you Kate," Castle told her seriously before he was kissing her again. He took the feel of her; doing the same as she was in feeling her as much as he could; trying to gather more memories to have of her though he wasn't planning on going anywhere again; a promise he made to himself.

Castle and Beckett made love tenderly, slowly for as long as they could, expressing their joy and reminding each other why they were as in as deeply love as they were. They kissed and caressed one another, letting time pass, knowing that they had enough of it together with their second chance and taking advantage of it in any way as much as they possibly could.


	14. Come Back Someday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Footprints by Paul McCartney and Eric Stewart, from Paul's album Press to Play.

The bedroom was mostly quiet, only deep breaths of its occupants would puncture that silence from time to time. Then came the sound of movement as Castle draped himself over his wife's body partially and they turned their heads at the same time to start kissing deeply.

"Did anything bring that on or did you just decide you needed to have me?" Beckett asked in amusement as she looked at her husband once they'd ended their kiss.

"Dreams, a lot of very nice dreams," Castle told her. He leaned down and took her lips again, letting himself linger long enough so their tongues were carefully curling around each other. "But you didn't have much protest to that," he told her. When he saw her smile he then said, "Oh, so you had dreams too I take it."

"Maybe," Beckett said with a shrug before she started to laugh and then kissed him. That one ended faster and she then sighed saying, "We need to get up don't we?"

"Yeah, but before we do let me get on the phone…" Castle started to say then before he leaned over to grab his phone on the nightstand. He sat up with his wife then, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he started to dial his number for Air Canada he'd kept on his phone just in case.

Leaning back against her pillows after she'd covered their laps with the sheet Beckett looked on, listening to Castle's conversation with whoever was on the other end from the airline.

"Yes, my name is Richard Castle… oh you've heard of me, thank you. I'll tell my wife that," he said in slight amusement as the woman on the other end was obviously a fan of theirs. "I'm wondering if it'd be possible for us to catch a flight as early as possible from Toronto to New York today? Oh and Skye McDouglas, the NTSB investigator, asked me to send along her greeting to the CEO, Mr. Mayfield… there's a flight at eleven? That's fantastic, thank you so much, we'll be there." After he'd said goodbye to the woman he looked at his wife and said, "Impressed?"

"To a degree, I think it was Skye's name that helped you out there," Beckett teased him. "And I'm so glad she didn't know she was talking to a naked man."

"Oh, you wouldn't have let her know," Castle said. "You can be possessive if I need you to be."

Shaking her head at that, Beckett let him kiss her but she didn't let him linger that time, ducking back and out from underneath him as she said to his shock, "We need to go."

Sighing, Castle said, "I have to call the B&B anyways." He reluctantly got up, watching his wife grab her robe from the closet. He allowed himself the chance to watch her go to the stairs, but once she was out of sight he quickly shook himself and went to the closet to get dressed and start packing.

Coming back up later, Beckett said to her husband, "How do we get to Toronto exactly?"

"Well, I was thinking of going to the ballroom for a quick breakfast since we need to check out anyways," Castle explained as he was buttoning his shirt. "And maybe ask the concierge… Morrissey? Someone should know… Perkins actually."

"I hope he gets the job," Beckett said with a smile as she started to dress. "Oh, before we leave, we should say goodbye to Fraser."

"A lot of people we need to say goodbye to," Castle said, setting his suitcase on his side of the bed. "Met a lot of them here. Think we'll keep in touch with the Maxtones? Or the Morrisseys for that matter?"

"Not sure," Beckett said. "It depends if they want to, since the Maxtones are in the city, and the Morrisseys live in Toronto."

"That's true," Castle said with a nod of his head. He watched her start to pack her suitcase and then hurriedly grabbed his phone. "Almost forgot," he told her as she glanced at him.

Listening to her husband's conversation with John Kemp, Beckett smiled as she could hear the man reassuring him that they would be able to take them in sooner than their original reservation had been. She glanced at him when he hung up and commented, "I'm not surprised they're so accommodating."

"I told you that review online would help," Castle said with a brief grin before he went to his suitcase to close it. "And it helped them too I would hope."

"We'll have to ask," Beckett said before she closed her suitcase. "Okay, is there anything we have left?"

"Is your carryon ready?" Castle asked her. When she nodded he said, "I think we can go."

Heading downstairs the two got the last of their things; essentially their outer layers; before they could leave. Luckily the weather had warmed up and as they were walking to the hotel they were surprised to hear a plane's engine in the distance.

"It's the seaplane," Beckett said as they turned to the lake; even though they could see the ruins at the shore. "Do you think we could catch a ride that way?"

"It'd help us out," Castle said with a nod before they hurried to the building without another word said between them. Inside the lobby he saw that there were some people checking out and that Morrissey was there, speaking with them.

"You're leaving too?" the owner said, smiling a little sadly when he'd made his way over to them after noticing them.

"It's not really because of your resort," Beckett quickly said.

"Don't worry, I don't blame these guests for wanting to leave," Morrissey replied. "And I would have been very surprised had the two of you wanted to remain. But I hope in the future you might want to come back."

Since that was said so tentatively; and he knew Beckett felt the same as he did; Castle told the man, "Don't worry, we will. And we're wondering about the plane-"

"I have two seats for you; just in case you were going to leave today," Morrissey replied with a nod.

"Thank you," Beckett said meaningfully. "Could we still have breakfast? One last time even though we're checking out right now?"

"Go ahead," Morrissey said with a chuckle. "I won't hold back a meal from you just because you're leaving. "But so you know, the plane's leaving in an hour and fifteen minutes; at nine forty-five." He started to walk away before he paused and then said, "I should have asked first but how are you two doing after yesterday?"

Since Castle was by then walking up to the concierge, Beckett replied saying, "We're fine."

"Great to hear," Morrissey replied before he headed to the ballroom.

Waiting for her husband to finish checking them out, Beckett was surprised when he took his suitcases over to a group of others saying, "They'll load them?"

"Yeah, and there's Fraser," Castle said as the guard was obviously watching over the luggage behind him. "Our chance to say thanks," he told her.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett," Fraser said, smiling slightly at them when they reached him. "Glad to hear everything worked out and you two are alright."

"We are too," Castle said quickly. "We just wanted to say thank you for your help during our investigation."

"Are you kidding? It was an honor to get to work with you two, you're definitely professionals. And I can see why your books are so good you know what you're writing about," Fraser said.

"Then we were glad to include you," Beckett said, smiling at that. When the guard nodded she and Castle left their baggage before they went hand in hand into the ballroom. She was relieved to see less people staring at her husband as they went to get their food and glanced over at their usual table before tapping her husband's shoulder so he would look.

"Interesting," Castle said when he saw the Maxtones talking to the Winsors. "I think they all knew we were leaving and wanted to say goodbye."

"Or it's just a coincidence," Beckett told him simply. She pulled him up to the buffet, and they got their food before they joined the other couples at the table.

"Good morning," Lisa Winsor said. "How are you both doing?"

"Pretty well, yourselves?" Beckett asked.

"Not badly. Listen, talking with Lisa and Scott, we decided to go today to the golf course and were wondering if you wanted to join us for that game we talked about already," Chelsea said.

"We're going to be heading back to New York," Castle said. "So I'm afraid we can't really join in."

"We want to get home," Beckett said quickly as she could see the others were surprised to hear that.

"Understandable," Scott said, the other three nodding in agreement with him. "Hopefully you'll have a safe trip."

"We should, the weather isn't too bad," Castle said, looking out the window closest to them.

"Would it be weird if I asked if you wanted to keep in touch via e-mail?" Chelsea was asking Beckett.

"We were talking about that earlier," Beckett said with a smile. "And I'd love to hear from you again. You too," she told Lisa.

Watching as the three women exchanged their e-mail addresses, Castle said, "I hope you'll let us know the outcome of this game you're going to be playing."

"We will, and we're going to play two rounds so it's eighteen holes," William told them.

"And we'll let you know about our Thanksgiving, we're heading to see his family in Seattle," Chelsea said as they all went back to their food. "It's why we're here actually; we're going to go there from Toronto."

"Nice stopping point on the way," Castle said. "We'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our home this year, it should be fun."

"We don't really have anything to add to that," Lisa said. "Since our Thanksgiving already happened of course. It was nice though; we went to my parents' house and had a nice meal."

"Is the celebration that different from our Thanksgiving?" William asked.

"Not really," Scott commented. "Basically the date is the difference since we eat a big family meal as well."

"I always wondered how Americans celebrated," Lisa said. "So it'll be interesting to know what you both do."

"You've never known Americans?" Castle asked.

"Not well enough that I would ask," Lisa replied.

"Then you want to know how we celebrate Independence Day?" Beckett asked in amusement. "You can let us know how Canada Day is."

"Sounds like it'll be an interesting conversation and they run close together, so that helps," Scott said.

Castle and Beckett spoke with the two other couples about what they would do there at the resort for the rest of their stays. They didn't tell them about their plans to go to the B&B, but did let them know about picking out a puppy before they headed back to their home. The two couples asked questions about the breed; which Castle and Beckett tried to answer the best they could before they had to leave, seeing it was nearly time for the seaplane to depart.

"It was great to get to meet you," Beckett said as they were followed to the lobby by the four. "I look forward to hearing from you two again," she told the women.

"So will I," Lisa said, Chelsea echoing her. "Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, you guys too when you head out of here," Beckett replied as Castle was putting on his coat after saying goodbye to Scott and William.

After saying a last goodbye to the group, Castle took his wife's hand and they headed out to the second pier on the lake that hadn't been destroyed by the bomb. He squeezed her hand gently when they had to walk past the ruins as the pier was on the way to the cabin. "So, we won't have lunch on the plane, I was thinking maybe we stop for it in JFK?" he asked to distract her then.

"Sounds good," Beckett said as they followed some of the people in line for the plane. She let go of him and wrapped her arm around him tightly before they boarded.

* * *

Seeing the sign for the farm; about an hour outside of NYC; Castle pulled onto the lane and said, "Here we go, Rocky Point Farm."

"I know Rick I can read," Beckett said with a smile. She laughed softly when he gave her a smile in return and she squeezed his arm before they got to the farm house. As she stepped out of the car she tried to see if there were any horses but saw that it looked like it was mainly sheep. She smiled to herself and when she felt Castle come up to her told him, "The girls would love to see this."

"I know," Castle told her, looking at the sheep that were being herded into a barn by a man.

"Excuse me, can I help you two?" a woman said on the porch of the house then, getting their attention.

"Hello, my name is Richard Castle," he told her, walking over with Beckett. "Are you Leticia?"

"Oh, Mr. Castle, yes we've spoken on the phone," Leticia replied. "You're here to see Fran's pups?"

"If we can," Castle said as they reached the porch. "This is my wife, Kate Beckett."

"Nice to meet you as well, please, come inside and see the litter," Leticia said, shaking her hand before leading the way inside.

Hearing the yapping of puppies as they neared the family room, Beckett smiled as she was first to see the seven puppies, playing with some toys on the floor and each other. "They're adorable," she told the woman.

"They always are, Fran is a wonderful mother," Leticia said. "Now you mentioned you have two girls, one of them is two and a half?" When Castle and Beckett nodded in response to that, she went to the puppies as she beckoned them to come with her. "The one in the green ribbon and the one in the orange would both be good for you," she told them. "We look at their personalities as they grow," she said to their slightly confused expressions. "You can get to know them in the living room if you want and decide."

"Did he tell you that we live on the beach?" Beckett asked.

"He did, and we took that into consideration," Leticia said.

Going over to the dogs, Castle took the dog in the orange ribbon while Beckett got the one in green. He led her to the living room and said, "Both boys."

"Did you ask for boys?" Beckett asked teasingly as they sat on the hearth of the fireplace.

"No, in the end I said either would be fine, whichever one would be best for the girls," Castle told her as he let the puppy in his arms sniff at his hand. "I don't know about this one," he said as the puppy struggled to be put down. "Not too sociable."

"That's because there's a toy right there," Beckett said, petting her puppy.

"Oh, well then go ahead," Castle said, setting it down. He turned to his wife then and smiled as she began laughing; the puppy she was holding starting to lick at her cheek. "This one's definitely affectionate," he said as he scratched behind its ears.

"He is," Beckett said, handing him the dog. "See if it likes you," she said as she watched him closely.

"I think he does," Castle laughed then himself as it licked his cheek almost instantly. "So, I think we decided didn't we?"

"We did," Beckett said, unable to help herself as she leaned down, kissing the puppy's head before it whined to go back to her.

"Leticia?" Castle asked as he got up to go in search of the woman.

"Did you make your choice?" she asked as she came to the doorway. "Looks like you picked Dragon."

"Dragon?" Beckett asked with a smile as she looked down at the green collar.

"What's the orange puppy's name?" Castle asked then.

"Tiger," Leticia said. "We name them for animals and of course, you can change Dragon's name if you choose, since he is yours. If you'll come with me to my office…"

After making sure the dog had its necessary shots and they'd paid, Castle and Beckett were walking out to the car and once turned around to go back to the city he said, "I hope he won't forget us," as they'd left the dog there until December when they would return to pick him up. "I wish we could have taken him home," he then said.

"You said we needed to pick before the others were sold," Beckett reminded him. She reached over to him and squeezed his hand saying, "Imagine how the girls will react when they see him."

"I know, I might need headphones," Castle said.

"Alexis will like him right?" Beckett asked after they were silent for a few minutes.

"Yeah, she always wanted a dog remember I told you," Castle said. "So when we get to the B&B," he said once he was on the freeway. "Anything you want to do?"

"Well, I think what you can do there is basically rest," Beckett said. "There might be snow," she said as she remembered him checking the weather back at home in Toronto and seeing that it had snowed a couple inches in the night.

"So we'll head out for some snow sports? Not snurfing I hope," Castle said.

"I don't think they'd have the boards," Beckett said with a slight laugh. "We'll see what we can do." When her husband nodded she reached over to him and took his hand, holding it until he needed it to drive again as they listened to music their trip down to Long Island.

* * *

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett," John Kemp said to the two as they came up the stairs to the porch of the Beach B&B later in the afternoon. "Great to see you both again and in much better weather this time around."

"We're glad to have made it," Beckett said with a smile, shaking the man's hand. "And in time before you closed for the season."

"That's right, you just made it," John said with a laugh as he shook Castle's hand and took Beckett's suitcase for her.

"I'll echo my husband's sentiments," Beatrice Kemp said as she took Beckett's scarf and gloves. "And I'm glad you got here without having to drive through heavy snow."

'We noticed how much you got," Castle said. "Do you have any other guests here?"

"Two other couples," Beatrice replied, taking their things to the entry closet. "They're outside in the back, walking through the woods and possibly skating on the pond we have."

"You have a pond?" Castle asked.

"We do, it's small and shallow so it's completely frozen," John said. "And we have skates if you need a pair."

"That would be nice after we unpack," Beckett said as they went to the stairs.

"I'll show you your room right now," John told them as they started up. "It's the same one you stayed in before, well stocked with logs just in case."

"Nice to hear," Castle said, smiling as his wife glanced back at him.

"Dinner will be at six," Beatrice said. "Hopefully you'll join us."

"We will, thank you," Beckett said, walking into their room first as John was handing her husband the key. "Wow, it has not changed," she said when they were alone, the door closed behind them.

"It hasn't," Castle said, looking around himself. "But it'll be nice to explore the room without having to huddle under the covers."

"I know what you mean," Beckett said as she walked to the bed. She looked at the bedroom portion and smiled as she sat on the edge of it. "Come here," she said, motioning to him as he was watching her.

"Something up?" Castle asked as she leaned against him as soon as he was sitting.

"I'm just wondering if we might discuss your plans for the next few days we're here," Beckett said. "There's not a lot to do, so I don't want to hear you're bored."

"You always do that," Castle said teasingly. "And we'll find some things to do. You know one thing we can save for tomorrow during the day-"

"Take a tour of the house?" Beckett asked. When her husband nodded she smiled and said, "Yes, we should, we didn't really see much of it last time. And I would like to see if they have a library."

"You want to see if they have our books," Castle said. He laughed when his wife nudged him in the side and he said, "Kidding, actually reading would be nice to do. Over there on the couch in the turret…" He then turned back to her and said, "I think we'll be fine here love. For now, let's unpack and get outside so we can skate until dinner."

"I have to wonder how they have enough skates in enough sizes," Beckett replied as they stood up to get their suitcases.

"Who knows," Castle said, too preoccupied with the zipper on his case to think about that.

Beckett smiled slightly at his tone; which had been distracted; and she began getting her clothes into the room's closet as her husband was doing as well. When they'd gotten enough of their things unpacked for their stay, she didn't give him much time to put away his case on the bottom of the closet before she was grabbing his hand and pulling him to the door.

"Wow, someone's eager to go out," Castle said with a smile as he locked the door, tucking the key into his pocket.

"We've been cooped up in planes and cars today," Beckett told him. "I need to stretch my legs."

"Skating will help there," Castle said as they went down to the first floor where they found John Kemp in the dining room with a woman.

"Ah, heading out to the pond?" the man asked when he saw them. At their nods he said, "Great, you can grab your things from the closet and I'll get skates for you, I just need to know your sizes."

When they were going back into the entryway, Castle said, "I wonder how the other two couples will be."

"In what context?" Beckett asked as she got her coat.

"Fans or not," Castle replied.

"No surprise there," Beckett said teasingly. "I don't know but let's hope if they're fans they're not the stalker kind."

"I'll agree with you on that," Castle said as he followed her to the back of the house; the hall going all the way to a door to the backyard.

"Here you are," John said, coming to them from the kitchen. "When the first guests started skating," he told them as he handed them the ice skates. "We decided to have extra pairs in as many sizes as possible so people could go if they wanted to." When he looked at Castle and Beckett and saw their shocked expressions he laughed slightly and said, "I get asked why we have so many skates a lot, so I thought you'd like to know too. Enjoy your time out there."

"Thank you," Beckett said with a nod before she and Castle went through the sun porch. "So he can read minds."

"No, wasn't thinking that," Castle said quickly as he knew she was teasing him. "I should have asked how do we find the pond…" he said, looking back at the house.

"The tracks Rick," Beckett said, grabbing the sleeve of his coat before he could head back inside. She pulled him to the footprints that were going straight through the yard and said, "I hope we might have a chance to skate, we-"

Hearing the slight cry in the distance, Castle said, "I think at least one of those couples is having a snowball fight." He looked at his wife before he said, "Think we could-"

"No," Beckett cut him off.

"Come on, it'd be fun," Castle said though he wasn't trying to push that hard.

"I'd rather wait until we get home to the girls," Beckett said simply.

"What do you think they're doing right now?" Castle asked after they'd walked a little in silence.

"I was wondering the same thing," Beckett replied with a little smile. She then looked at her watch and said, "Well, Julia's dance class is over and they're probably all at home. And Julia's doing her homework while Eliza's doing art of some kind."

"My mother's probably with her, making sure she doesn't make a mess," Castle said. "I really wish we could have brought Dragon with us…" he began before trailing off. He noticed his wife looking at him then and he said, "I'm wondering if they'll want to keep that name."

"Unlikely," Beckett said with a smile. "We'll tell them they can choose a new name, but we've all got to agree on it."

"Democratic vote?" Castle asked. "And will my mom be included?"

"If she wants to be," Beckett said. "And not so much a vote, just agreeing on the name."

"Okay then I'm looking forward to Christmas even more now," Castle said before they came to a clearing in the trees that were in the back of the house and found themselves at the pond. It was small as the Kemps had said, but not so much that they could skate the circumference slowly in under a minute. "So looks like we've got it to ourselves, wonder where the other couple went," he commented as they were all alone.

"Come on," Beckett said. "I don't really care about them, just us."

"Yeah, just hoping we don't get ambushed in their snowball fight," Castle said as he followed her to a bench. "Though I think with you on my side we'd take care of things pretty quickly. What?" he asked as Beckett sat back up after getting her boot off.

"Do you have a reason for kissing my ass?" she asked him teasingly.

"Not really," Castle said as seriously as he could. When his wife looked a little startled at that he sat up himself and he leaned over whispering against her lips, "I don't need one, because I know what to do and say that will help me later tonight."

"You're assuming a lot," Beckett teased him. "What if I'm tired after the way you took me this morning and all the travelling we did?"

Pretending to think about that, Castle didn't answer verbally, instead he closed the gap between him and his wife, taking her lips in a kiss that started out slowly. But eventually it deepened and he tried not to get too out of control but it was difficult when his wife was holding onto him tightly as they ran their tongues together inside her mouth in a slow, steady stroking motion that made him forget gladly it was cold there next to the pond.

Though she moved back a little to breathe Beckett didn't complain when Castle went after her, kissing her a second time. She cupped his cheek with her right hand as they were a little slower that time but it was no less enjoyable as they slid into a third one after a quick gasp for air. But finally they pulled away from each other and stayed away and she smiled asking, "Weren't we supposed to skate?"

"Do you still want to?" Castle asked.

Instead of answering, Beckett leaned over to take off her other boot and she glanced at her husband out of the corner of her eye as he put on his skates at the same time as her. "Later," she told him when they were standing up.

"We don't need to," Castle said, though that was just a formality; finding himself wanting her already.

"You need to work on the delivery of that line, not too convincing," Beckett said, smiling as they took hands and then stepped out onto the pond. They skated around in circles for a while, not really talking as they were enjoying the quiet. But finally she asked, "Race?"

"It's a little unfair," Castle pointed out. "All the times we do that I end up winning."

"Except for once," Beckett pointed out. When he hesitated she asked, pretending to be irked, "You let me win?"

"Just the one time," Castle assured her.

"I knew," Beckett said with a slight laugh. "See, that's how you deliver a convincing line."

"Have you been working with my mom?" Castle asked, looking at her in a little bewilderment.

"No, I just like seeing you panic," Beckett replied easily. She took his hand again then as they continued around and she felt something on her cheek. "Oh, again. Wait, speaking of your mom," she said as the snow started to fall around them. "You told her where we are now right?"

"Yeah, I texted Alexis too, she should be back from the trip to Akron soon," Castle said. "I hope she had fun."

"Most likely, since they went to that museum," Beckett said. "Hopefully there was something she could take a picture of in the museum that'll be alright for the girls to see."

"Well… it's about the history of psychology, not autopsies, so- ow," Castle said when she smacked his chest with the back of her hand though it hadn't hurt. "I wonder how Akron is actually."

"Never been there, have you?" Beckett asked.

"I've been on a book tour to Cleveland and Columbus, but Akron wasn't part of it," Castle replied. "But Ohio isn't too bad; it is pretty in the fall."

"We're a little past that," Beckett said in amusement since the snow was by then leaving white dots on his coat. "I hope she got to go around the city and take pictures at least. The girls might enjoy that."

"Well, since it looks like this is getting a little stronger; and good thing we made it before this storm moved in," Castle said then as the flakes were coming down slightly harder. "I say we should go back in, maybe have some scotch?"

"It's nearly time for dinner," Beckett said, smiling since it was getting darker as the sun went down behind the clouds.

"Okay, then let's go," Castle agreed as they skated over to where the bench was. He hurried as she did to get the skates off and their shoes back on before they headed hand in hand back to the house. As they were nearing it another couple appeared to their right a little ahead of them, both covered in snow that they were trying to brush off each other as they walked.

"Hello," the woman said, looking back at them with a smile. "You're here at the B&B?"

"We are," Beckett replied.

"I hope you don't mind," the man said. "We're getting pretty cold, so we'll introduce ourselves at dinner."

"Go ahead," Castle told him. "Looks like you had a pretty nice match, anyone win?"

"I think I did," the woman said, smiling when the man gave her a begrudging nod of his head. "We'll see you," she then told them as they hurried inside.

"Okay, so now maybe you had a point about not doing that," Castle said, turning to his wife.

Beckett merely squeezed her husband's hand in response before they headed into the house, letting him take her pair of skates as she went to the entry to put away her coat and other layers. "What do we do now though? Still another twenty minutes until we eat," she asked Castle as he came over to her.

"They have a library," he told her. "He said it's small, but I told him we wouldn't mind seeing it still."

Waiting for him to put away his things, Beckett took his hand that he held out to her and she followed him through the house and through the parlor where they'd had some coffee with the Kemps the last time they were there. "I didn't even notice this door before," she told him as he opened one on the far end of the room.

"Yeah, when he was telling me where the room was," Castle said as he turned on the light. "He said his son designed the door so it blended with the wall better. But weird I didn't even see the doorknob."

"This isn't that small," Beckett said, turning back to him as he was looking at some shelves near the doorway.

"I know, it's pretty nice, I love the table and chairs in the middle; would be good for a séance," Castle said teasingly to her.

Giving him a look, though there wasn't much in the way of threat in it, Beckett turned back to the books she had found and for a while she became so immersed in one tome that she'd pulled down she didn't realize her husband was behind her until he was wrapping his arms around her. "Give me a little warning next time," she said after jumping slightly. "Though you probably won't."

"I probably won't," Castle said, nodding in his agreement. He wanted to lean down and kiss her but she stopped him suddenly turning to face him. "Not here?" he asked.

"Not here," Beckett echoed, smiling at him when he let go of her. She glanced at the doorway when she heard the footsteps approaching, thinking it was one of the Kemps. When she saw it was the other couple they hadn't seen yet staying there she nodded and said hello as Castle turned from the shelves he was leaning against.

"We thought you were someone else," the man said, smiling slightly. "My name is Nigel Daggett and this is my wife Hannah."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Richard Castle," he said first.

"I'm Kate Beckett," she then added.

"I thought you two looked familiar," Hannah commented with a smile. "Interesting seeing you two here. We're actually gathering in the parlor before dinner, if you'd like to join us."

"Hello again," the man of the other couple said as the others came over to them in the room. "I guess now would be a good time to introduce ourselves. My name is Dale Reid, and this is my wife Rowena."

"Interesting name," Castle said. He paused for a moment as the woman smiled; as if she'd heard that a number of times before; and then asked, "Ever done any sorting hat quizzes online?"

"It's alright," Rowena said with a slight laugh as Beckett glared a little at Castle. "I get asked that a lot, well; actually I get asked outright if I'm part of the Ravenclaw house in the books. My maiden name was Merriman by way."

"It's a pretty name, the connection to the Harry Potter books notwithstanding," Beckett commented, relieved the woman wasn't annoyed by her husband's question.

"I should confess though, Dale and I have both done those quizzes, at his insistence," Rowena said, looking at him.

Looking a little sheepish Dale said, "I like to see if there's a chance she could get Ravenclaw at the end. Obviously we're fans of the books; but that's because my niece recently started reading them; she got us hooked on them."

"Do you have children?" Rowena asked.

"You have a daughter don't you?" Hannah said.

"Two daughters, our oldest is Julia and our youngest is Eliza, they're eight and two," Beckett replied.

"Dinner is ready," Beatrice Kemp said, coming to the door then. "If you'd like to follow me to the dining room."

"Have you two been here before?" Dale asked as they went to the table, he and his wife sitting on the side of the table with Castle and Beckett.

"Once, but that was after this place was closed for the season, we weren't allowed to head down the road to go back to the city so we took refuge here," Beckett explained as Castle helped her into her chair. She squeezed his hand as he sat next to her, making sure that Hannah could see that, since the woman was starting to annoy her with the way she was staring at Castle; eyes almost boring into him.

"How long did you stay?"Nigel asked.

"Just one night, they opened the road the next day," Castle replied. He was going to say more when John poured wine for them all except for Rowena, and his wife spoke then to the other two couples.

"Do you have any kids?" Beckett said, looking at them.

"We have two sons and two daughters," Nigel said.

"We love them," Hannah said with a smile.

Exchanging a look with Castle and knowing he could see the same as she did, Beckett knew the smile was an affectation as the woman's voice was a little bitter. She had to wonder why, as Nigel seemed to love her, but guessed their visit to the B&B was to help out their marriage. "What about you two?" she asked Dale and Rowena.

"We're expecting our first," Rowena told her with a smile. "Which is why I'm not joining you in drinking wine."

"Congratulations," Beckett said, hearing Castle murmuring the same next to her. Beatrice and the woman helping her in the kitchen came out with the food and after it was in the middle of the table for them to serve themselves she asked, "How far along?"

"Two months," Rowena replied, getting some mashed potatoes.

"It's why we came here," Dale said. "To celebrate."

"Where do you two live?" Castle asked. "Is that question too nosy?" he said quickly after that.

"No, it makes sense you'd wonder that," Rowena said with a laugh. "We live in Southampton."

"We're neighbors then, we live in the Hamptons," Castle said.

"That we knew already," Dale said hesitantly.

"You've read our books?" Beckett asked with a smile to put the couple at ease as they seemed to be perturbed.

"Yeah, I knew about you before the first one though," Rowena said. " _Cosmo_."

"So you really helped her out with her cases?" Nigel asked.

"I did," Castle said.

"The mayor let you?" Dale then said.

"The former mayor," Castle said, since Wilkins was still in office. "But yeah, he let me stick around to help after the first case I assisted Kate and her team with. And we stayed like that until Mayor Wilkins came into office."

"Why did you stop?" Hannah asked. "Or is that too presumptuous of me to ask?"

"No, it's not," Beckett said, surprised the woman wanted to know. She gave the stock response whenever she and Castle were asked that by strangers saying, "I became pregnant at the time and I was a little worried with two children about my job. It's not the safest one and I didn't want to risk my life. But that's a little dark to be talking about at dinner. What do you all do?"

After Nigel and Hannah told the others they were realtors, Dale said, "I'm a pediatrician."

"So your child will have a doctor right in the house," Castle said. "Though you can't really do that can you?"

"No, but for things like colds, simple stuff like that I can be our child's doctor," Dale said.

"I'm a fashion designer," Rowena said. "Not really that huge but I own a boutique in downtown Southampton and it does pretty well."

"What's the name? I might have to go over to see it," Beckett said.

"Just Rowena's, I didn't want to worry about the name," Rowena replied, laughing slightly. "You're free to come though, to see what you might like. So are you two working on another book now?"  
"We took a break but we're working on our fourth book," Castle answered.

"Can we know anything about it, or is it under wraps?" Hannah asked.

"Under wraps," Beckett replied. "We're not too far into it at the moment so we're still working everything out."

Nodding, Hannah looked back at Castle and smiled warmly before he quickly turned away from her.

Leaning over to his wife, Castle whispered to her, " _I'm not trying to encourage her_."

" _Don't worry, I'm aware of that_ ," Beckett said. She then slid her hand down Castle's leg since the table was blocking it and told him in a low voice again, " _You can make it up to me tonight_."

Though he had to wonder what he'd need to make up for, Castle couldn't really find it in him to protest it and he reached down, holding her hand tightly before they went back to the conversation the others were having with the Kemps and the employees there that had joined them at the table. Luckily the conversation was enough to distract him and it was a slight surprise to find them all standing and the six of them going over to the parlor as the table was cleared. "So," he said, clearing his throat as they walked across the hall. "Do you know if there are any board-"

Before Castle could finish though, Nigel was pulling his wife back and started whispering to her. But his tone was so harsh that the four ahead of them still heard and quickly went to the room to leave them to their argument.

Beckett went to sit on the love seat which was the furthest place to sit from the door. But it didn't help not hearing the end of the argument as Nigel and Hannah went up the stairs, shouting at each other. She winced with the others as the door to the couple's room slammed shut before she breathed out. "Well… that kind of ruined the rest of the night," she commented.

"I think he noticed the way she was looking at you," Dale said. "They've been like that since we both got here yesterday, fighting, but I guess her interest in you pushed him."

"Hopefully they can get things worked out between them," Castle commented. "For the kids they have."

"Speaking of that," Rowena said, going over to the couch. "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead," Beckett replied with a smile. "I thought you might want to talk to me or Hannah about being pregnant."

"I do," Rowena said, watching as their husbands went to the library next to them. "How did yours go?"

"Nervous?" Castle asked Dale once they were looking at some books.

"To tell you the truth very much so," the man said, frowning. "Were you?"

"Well, I've been married twice before," Castle said. "And I had a daughter with my first wife. Then I was nervous, I wasn't sure about being a father; but once you hold your baby for the first time, you'll know that it was worth the months of worry."

Nodding at that, Dale turned his head to the doorway when he heard Beatrice Kemp calling from the parlor and he said, "I guess we should join our wives for dessert."

Castle simply smiled in response before he followed him out, going to Beckett on the couch where she was sitting alone as Rowena had moved to the other sofa. "She okay?" he asked her quietly as the two were talking with the Kemps.

"Yeah, she's had some morning sickness so she's a little jealous about how I just had fatigue," Beckett replied with a smile.

"Does she not have that?" Castle asked.

"No she does but the morning sickness is bad remember," Beckett told him.

Nodding, Castle squeezed her hand before he got up and went to the coffee table, getting two mugs of coffee ready for them. "So tonight's not going to be freezing right?" he asked jokingly as he went back to sit next to his wife, handing her the other mug.

"No it's not," John said with a laugh. "But that's why we have so much firewood in the rooms; we learned our lesson after that night."

"I'm wondering," Beckett said after they'd drunk a little of their coffees; in Rowena's case tea. "What else do you have to do here besides the pond?"

"You can head to Shirley," Beatrice said. "It has some stores you might enjoy; especially if you're thinking of buying Christmas gifts."

"We could take a look," Castle told his wife as he looked at her.

"We should see," Beckett replied. "Is it still snowing?"

"A little," John said, coming inside with one of the two women who was carrying a tray with plates with slices of pie on them. "Would anyone like dessert?"

"I'm wondering; speaking of Christmas," Rowena then said. "What did you buy for your youngest her first Christmas… also how old was she?"

"She was seven and a half months," Beckett answered first. "So basically clothes and a few toys, a couple games for when she was a few months older and books."

"You read a lot in your family?" Dale said.

"Of course," Beckett said, smiling as she shared a look with her husband.

"Yeah, we've been reading to Julia since… always," Castle said. "And we're doing the same with Eliza."

"We'll likely do the same thing," Dale said. "We love to read."

"Very much so," Rowena said. "Okay, so something I wanted to ask you both; not dealing with babies; I heard that you two assist the Hamptons PD? I would have asked at dinner but you were right, it would have been a little dark to keep talking about that then."

"It's true, we've been for nearly a year and a half now," Castle said. "The current chief is an old friend of mine."

"That helps," John said as he, his wife and their two employees sat down with their coffee and desserts. "What about the mayor?"

"I know him but not that well, luckily the former chief of police convinced him we were a great help," Castle said. "We were able to work with him a couple of times after."

"It's not a risk still to work with them?" Beatrice asked.

"It is, but since we're only consultants we're never really with the chief or his officers when they're in a dangerous situation," Beckett explained. "Also we don't allow ourselves to be in those situations unless I'm asked to."

"Are you asked to often?" Rowena queried, a little shocked.

"Rarely," Beckett said simply. "They know not to ask unless it's absolutely necessary." Wanting to change the subject then, she said, "Maybe you can answer a question I have now," directing that to Dale and Rowena.

"You never said what house you get sorted into," Castle said quickly before his wife could continue. "No?" he asked her when she just looked at him.

"He's always in Gryffindor, and yes, I'll let you know finally, I'm always in Ravenclaw," Rowena replied with a laugh. "So what's your question for us Kate?"

"Are you going to find out what you're having? And to go along with that, have you thought of names yet?" Beckett finally asked.

"We're going to be surprised," Rowena said, looking at her husband.

"I wanted to find out, but she made a good point about the surprise part of waiting," Dale replied. "And we made suggestions for names with each other the day she found out and told me we were going to have a baby. But we'll probably wait too. What about with your youngest?" he asked Castle and Beckett.

"We did the same," Beckett said with a smile. "I gave her her first name and he picked out her middle name."

"We might have to do that," Dale told his wife. When she just smiled in response he said, "Why don't we play some cards like last night?"

"You two aren't wildly competitive are you?" Rowena asked. When they shook their heads she said as John went to get some cards, "Nigel and Hannah were crazy last night; it made it a lot less fun."

"Were you playing with chips?" Castle asked. "For money?"

"No, just for fun, like we're going to do now," Dale replied as they gathered around the coffee table that was quickly cleared. "What'll it be?"

"Poker?" Beckett suggested.

"Sounds good, Texas hold 'em is one we like to play," Rowena said. "We played that last night."

"Alright, here we go," John said, having been shuffling as they'd been speaking.

After the owner had picked up his hand they began to play together, doing so for an hour before Beckett looked at her watch. She remembered they needed to talk with their daughters, so she and Castle said goodnight to the others, promising to play with them the next night before they headed up to their room.

* * *

"Mother, we're so sorry, we were playing cards with the others here at the B&B and almost lost track of time, I'm getting you on Skype now," Castle was telling Martha as Beckett turned on his tablet and got the connection set.

"Hi Mommy, Daddy!" Julia and Eliza said, standing already in front of the TV again.

"Hello Julia, Eliza," Beckett said with a smile at seeing them. "You're up a little late tonight."

"Just for tonight," Julia said, Eliza nodding in agreement with her immediately.

"Alright, just for tonight," Beckett echoed. "And that's because we were late. So, quickly, how was it today?"

"Fun! After school Gram took us shopping," Julia said.

"Yeah, for clothes!" Eliza then cried.

"For Thanksgiving," Martha reminded them as she'd already talked to them about buying the girls' outfits for the holiday dinner. "And you'll love what I helped them pick out."

"I'm sure we will," Castle said. "And after that?"

"I worked on homework as soon as I got home and Gram and Eliza played while I did that," Julia said.

"We had pizza!" Eliza said exuberantly.

"Just for tonight," Martha replied.

"It's alright," Beckett assured her. "Any plans for tomorrow?"

"We'll see how things go," Martha replied as the girls looked at her at the same time, making her nearly laugh. "And how was your trip back?"

"It went fine," Beckett said. "Did your gram tell you that we're at the hotel near home?"

"She did," Julia said, glancing over at her little sister and seeing she was looking at the socks on her feet. "You don't have to come back yet," she then said quickly as her mother was about to open her mouth to speak.

"Yeah, Julia said you kiss," Eliza said, looking up as she remembered what her grandmother and sister had told her about the trip her parents were taking.

"Well… we do, but if you wanted us to come home we would do that," Castle said, sharing an embarrassed glance with his wife.

"It's okay," Julia assured them. "We'll spend the time with Gram by ourselves; we don't get to do that so much."

"And Gram makes us s'mores," Eliza said.

"Oh, I think you weren't supposed to tell us that," Castle said in amusement as Julia covered her sister's mouth to her laugh.

"It was going to be a special dessert the night before you two come back," Martha said. "I took her with me to the market when I got the ingredients, and naturally; like her parents; she had to find out why I had them in the basket."

"I like finding out," Eliza giggled, sticking her tongue out a little.

"Okay," Beckett said, smiling. "That'll be a nice dessert for you to look forward to. As for right now, you both need to go to bed okay?"

"Kay," Eliza said before she yawned widely.

"I love you Julia, Eliza, so much," Beckett told them as Julia yawned a little after her sister had.

"Love you too," Julia said as Eliza repeated what she'd said.

"And I love you two, a ton," Castle said, widening his eyes to make them laugh at his expression. "We'll talk to you tomorrow, goodnight."

"Love you Daddy, night," Julia said.

"Night, love you," Eliza said sleepily.

After they'd said goodnight to Martha, Castle turned off his tablet and turned to Beckett, about to speak when his phone rang. "She must have had something else to talk about…" he started to say as he got it from his pocket.

"It's not her?" Beckett asked, seeing his slightly bemused expression.

"It's Alexis," Castle said. "So she's back. Hey sweetie," he started to say after he had answered.

"Dad, is it true?" Alexis said so loudly on the other end that Beckett; though she was already close to Castle; could easily hear.

"What?" he asked, wondering if she'd found out about them getting a dog somehow.

"You're back from Canada; you were supposed to stay another… I forgot how much time you have left. But Dad, how could you cut short your trip?" Alexis asked.

"We didn't cut it short," Castle protested. "We just left a little sooner. We'll explain when we see you for Thanksgiving, it's a long story."

"Oh no, Dad, are you and Kate getting a divorce?" Alexis said, sounding like she was dismayed hearing that.

"A divorce?" Castle asked, looking at his wife with wide eyes.

"I heard you, on Halloween," Alexis began. "When I arrived at the house you were arguing with Kate," she said, telling him what she'd heard. "You both sounded so angry and lately you two haven't really looked like you were that happy with each other like you used to be."

"Alexis, Alexis honey," Castle said quickly so she couldn't continue. He felt Beckett holding onto his arm, her mouth pressed against him as she was trying to suppress her laughter, and he tried not to laugh himself. "We were practicing an argument we wanted to write into the book, we were doing it as Moor and Green. And as for us not like we used to be… I think we're the same, you might just be worried about us and not see it."

"So you're okay?" Alexis asked, relief washing over her.

"We're good Alexis," Beckett told her stepdaughter. "So don't worry. And does your grandmother know you've been worrying about us?"

"We've both been," the young woman confessed.

"Give her a call tonight and let her know that everything is fine between Kate and me," Castle told her firmly. "And that we're in love as much as we were."

"A little more now," Beckett whispered into his other ear. She smiled when Castle wrapped his arm around her and leaning against him she listened in to the rest of his conversation with his daughter; about her trip to Akron and the museum until they both said goodnight to her and he hung up.

"That was like a repeat of the argument picture," Castle said as he turned to his wife.

"I know," Beckett said, having been thinking of the picture of her and Castle 'arguing' when they'd been on a trip to the city that had appeared in the _Ledger_. They'd actually been talking about where to go for lunch at the time and at that exact moment looked like they were fighting. Luckily it had been a year and a half since then and that had been the only incident where they'd been rumored to be in trouble. "But it's nice to see that Alexis was so worried about the two of us."

"That's true," Castle said. "But she said she and my mother were worried for the girls' sake mostly so at least they were worrying for the right reason."

"They were," Beckett replied simply before she nodded her head. "So you were going to say something before the phone rang?"

"I was," Castle said. "Are you tired? Exhausted?"

"I'm feeling a pretty good amount of energy to tell you the honest truth," Beckett replied with a smile.

"Then let me get us some scotch and see how things go from there," Castle suggested.

"Go ahead," Beckett said, settling back against the chair, looking out the window at the snow still falling. "Maybe tomorrow we can stay around."

"Around where?" Castle asked, a little confused at that.

Smiling over her shoulder at him, Beckett replied, "The room."

Quickly holding up the bottle of scotch he'd been pouring out into a second glass before he could spill, Castle asked, "You're serious?"

"I think I'd like the chance to stay still one day," Beckett told him as he walked to her with the glasses in hand. "And tomorrow will be a nice day to do that, the snow is going to be falling for a while it looks like."

"I have no problem doing that," Castle said quickly as he sat after giving her one of the glasses. "So here's to tomorrow."

"To tomorrow," Beckett replied as she tapped her glass against his. She took a sip, slightly grimacing at the burn of the liquor down her throat but it was soon offset by warmth in her stomach. She glanced at her husband and said, "What's on your mind?"

"Do you remember; and I might be saying this a lot for a while," Castle said, slightly warningly.

"It's okay, I'm assuming you want to make sure you have these memories correct in your head?" Beckett asked.

"That and I would like to relive them since I can," Castle replied. "But do you remember our first Christmas with Julia."

"A lot happened that day," Beckett replied with a smile. She took a quick sip of scotch and asked him, "What part?"

"When I proposed to you," Castle said. "I really did that?"

Knowing he was joking in his question Beckett leaned over and kissed him tenderly on the lips before giving him a second one quickly after, both of which he immediately responded to. "You did," she whispered. "And I think that is what a good proposal is supposed to have. Two people in love, wanting a lot more."

"A whole lot more," Castle said with a slight grin before he grew serious and then leaned over, pressing his lips to hers. "I'm glad you said yes and that we did eventually get married. I remembered our wedding ridiculously vividly once I had that memory back."

"I was thinking about that too, hard not to since that was a pretty big day for the two of us. We got married and we became a family," Beckett replied.

"I did remember Julia calling me daddy and telling me she loved me," Castle said in response to her unasked question. "It was a great day."

"I'm glad you think that," Beckett replied, setting her by then empty glass on the floor before she wrapped her arms around his neck. "But for now Rick, come back to the present okay?"

"Easily done," Castle said immediately in response as she leaned in close to him. He made her wait for a moment so he could set his glass on the floor as well and going back to her he wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could, kissing her passionately on her responding, eager lips as he laid her back on the couch, ignoring the cold seeping through the windows for that moment.

When they pulled away to breathe, Beckett couldn't help shaking a little and she sighed saying, "I think this is the coldest part of the room."

"So we should move?" Castle asked, reluctantly getting off of her.

"And you should get a fire started," Beckett said as she stood and followed him over to the fireplace.

"Okay, so something I'm wondering if you can tell me," Castle told her as he proceeded to stack the logs. "The case?"

"You want to know now?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, it wasn't that I didn't want to know, I was just letting enough time pass for more information. You got an e-mail from Morrissey right?" Castle asked, since he knew the motive Quentin had had for killing Dennis and Lake.

"Yes, and it confirmed Quentin and Hill didn't really get along and he decided to frame Hill because it was easier to do," Beckett said. "He'd heard in the staff quarters that he'd argued with the two, so people already believed he was the killer. And he knew how to open the window to that closet because he was shown by one of the cooks." When her husband paused and turned to her she smiled slightly saying, "Last season he was apparently locked out of his room and didn't want to bother asking the manager for a key. So one of the cooks who's actually not there this season, showed him a way to open the latch on the window. Don't ask me how because they're not sure of that yet."

"So he got into the closet, and…" Castle began.

"I think Hill tried to get Fraser in but once the guard was inside Quentin kept behind him and knocked him out. He may have knocked out Hill too," Beckett replied.

"Which would explain why no one in the hall heard anything," Castle said. "But what about the blood?"

"Someone else's as the blood type doesn't match Quentin or Hill," Beckett replied. "They're thinking it was from the maintenance crew that was there earlier in the summer, cleaning the window. And once out Quentin walked to a cart where he bundled Hill up; put a hat low on his head with a scarf so he could drive around to the lake without anyone being suspicious. It's why the tracks ended."

"But wouldn't they have noticed tire tracks?" Castle asked.

"There's a path under and it leads to the road, which Morrissey was having some of the staff checking in carts so it was impossible to tell that another cart had been there," Beckett said. "So that's the case."

"It is and a sad one too," Castle sighed. "I wonder if Quentin really had a sense of atonement doing that though."

"We won't know," Beckett replied, touching his right shoulder as the fire started. "How's your shoulder?"

"Less sore but the bruise is of course still very much painful when you touch it," Castle said with a slight smile. "So, more scotch?" he asked, standing up and turning to her.

"I'll pass," Beckett said with a smile. "Actually… I wonder if you'll excuse me for a second…"

Following her into the bedroom Castle watched her disappear into the bathroom and he shuddered for a moment before he went over to the dresser pulling something out as quickly as he could, not knowing how long until his wife came back out.

"Surprising," Beckett said as she stepped out into the room. "I thought you'd be naked."

"I was, but it's still pretty cold," Castle said, sitting on the edge of the bed, his pajama pants on. "And this is a new one?" he asked, his eyes suddenly glued on his wife as her nightgown seemed a lot tighter than ones she'd worn for him before.

"It is," Beckett said, not surprised when his eyes lingered on her breasts. "Hey," she said, tilting his head up to her. "You said it was cold."

"I did say that," Castle said. "So come here."

Beckett was going to protest that but he was pulling her onto his lap and she didn't have much of a chance to before he was kissing her deeply. She felt less cold then as his arms wrapped around her tightly and she stroked his cheek a few times before she was suddenly fighting his tongue inside of her mouth. She felt almost hot by the time he pulled away from her and she brushed her fingers along his cheek slowly before he was starting to lean down to her again. "Wait," she said.

"Wait? Why?" Castle asked, though he couldn't say he was surprised as she got off his lap and walked over to the nightstand on her side of the bed. "Did you bring that with you?" he asked when he saw she was holding a bottle of honey.

"It was in the mini-bar out there," Beckett said with a smile as she tossed him the bottle before she got onto the bed. "I guess that's in case you want to make some mixed drinks," she said with a smile, going to him on her knees before she wrapped her arms around him.

"It's been a while since we used this," Castle commented as she proceeded to kiss the shell of his ear, grunting a little in response to that.

"It has," Beckett said, pressing her lips to his cheek, remembering. The last time she'd ended up coating his erection in the thick liquid before pleasuring him slowly, so it wasn't much of a shock to feel her husband shuddering in her embrace as she knew he was recalling that as well. "Want to do that again?" she asked, suddenly eager to repeat the experience and hoping he'd say yes. She was surprised when he turned to her, making her pull away and judging by the look in his eye, she knew his answer before he started to speak. "No?" she asked, wondering what he had in mind.

"No but don't worry, we'll both enjoy it," Castle said before he got onto the bed with her, on his knees as well. He set the bottle of honey just below his pillow and then grabbed his wife, pulling her to him as he pulled her pale blue nightgown up her legs at the same time. When she straddled his lap he was relieved she was okay with him doing that and without wasting any more time he kissed her hungrily; relief going through him again when she was responding to him immediately. He delved his tongue into her mouth, very quickly, just to see what her response would be to him and when she was soon flicking her tongue to him he was curling his around hers as their heads began to tilt back and forth while they playfully struggled against one another.

Sliding her hands up the back of his neck, Beckett moaned softly as his hands at that moment were reaching underneath her nightgown, pushing it further until it was nearly around her waist. She shuddered in pleasure as his hands slid over her bare skin a few times before he was going back to clasping his hands on the small of her back. They pulled apart slowly and she only had a second to look into his eyes before he was descending to her neck. Tilting her head back she gave him plenty of access as he proceeded to nip at her skin before soothing it with his lips and tongue. Finally she made him move back from her and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Just warming you," Castle said simply before he leaned over to kiss her. He tried not to protest when she stopped him again and he asked, "You don't want me to?"

Looking down at him, seeing the frustration on his face, Beckett replied, "Take those off."

"Off… my pants?" Castle asked. When she nodded he hesitated for a moment, not wanting to let her go, but finally the desire to have her naked won out and he let go of her so she could move. As she sat on the edge of the bed watching him he pulled off his pajama pants and tossed them aside before starting to go to his wife.

Beckett wasn't too stunned when her husband pulled her up to stand with him and she felt him starting to pull on her nightgown under her waist. "You want this off too?" she asked him teasingly.

"I thought actions speak louder than words," Castle commented, looking at her as she slapped his hands away. Though he didn't want to do that either he let her go, watching her remove her nightgown in one easy move that had him wondering how she could do that so well. But he then found his attention going to her naked body and he lost that train of thought as he started to reach for her breasts.

Shaking her hair behind her shoulders, Beckett was ready for Castle to touch her in some way but when he paused she became a little concerned. "What is it?" she asked him as he grabbed her hand and moved her slightly out of the way.

"I almost forgot about this," Castle said, picking up the bottle of honey. "I was going to throw you right on it. Plus," he said as he ran his hand down her cheek to hold onto the side of her neck, "I'd like something a little sweet; I'm craving something sweet."

"Good thing you have that honey," Beckett joked. She was a little startled when Castle set down the bottle on the nightstand and picked her up to her short cry. She had to wonder why he'd bothered doing that as all he had to do was take one step to the bed and lay her down in the middle of the mattress. But she didn't bother to ask as he was soon joining her, kissing her as hard as he possibly could and she scrambled a little to respond to him in turn.

Feeling the desire in the way Beckett held onto him, kissed him back, Castle had to fight his own body to not shift just a little to the left and slide into her. He wanted to take his time, especially since her bringing out the honey had put the idea in his head. He kissed his wife a few times before he finally pulled away for good and then helped her prop herself up with some pillows. "You're okay with this?" he asked her when she was set and watching him closely.

"I'm surprised you're asking, I'm not supposed to know what you're doing with that," Beckett teased him, since she knew the question was asked to give her a last chance to change his mind or stop him. "But yes, and hurry Rick."

"Okay," Castle said easily as he pushed up the lid and then sat up next to his wife's body on his knees. He studied her closely, trying to figure out how he wanted to accomplish his basic idea of just licking the honey off of her. He finally decided and ran the liquid down in a straight line from between her breasts to just above the mound between her legs.

Beckett was surprised when Castle then lowered his head, not bothering to put anymore honey on. But that was lost the second his tongue licked through to her skin and she felt the heat of his moist touch as it went down and then up to in between her breasts. She breathed a little hard when she heard the sound of the lid being pushed up and she looked at her husband with a slight smile.

Pausing a little at the expression on her face, Castle asked, "What?"

"I'm surprised you didn't rush to come here first," Beckett told him, as he'd gone to her breasts, starting to drizzle it over her right nipple.

"I thought I'd be a gentleman and make that the second place I went to," Castle said, smiling when she rolled her eyes in response to that. He leaned down then and lapped at her breast; not just the part with honey on it, but all around as he knew she liked. He could tell she was enjoying it that time too as her hands were holding onto the back of his head tightly. Her moans were highly arousing as well and after he had started to suck at her nipple; despite the honey being gone well before then; he found himself throbbing in pleasure. But he didn't stop, going over to her left breast to repeat the same process.

Beckett felt her body aching as while the action of his mouth was highly pleasurable she wanted more and she nearly told Castle that when she watched him go down in between her legs. "Oh god," she breathed as he was careful to part her folds. She moaned deeply when she felt the slightly cooler honey sliding over her clit and then jumped at the clatter of the bottle being thrown on top of the dresser next to the bed. But before she could ask Castle if he was finished with it she was clutching tightly at the sheet underneath her as his mouth found the liquid, tongue sweeping it up into his mouth. Though it was thick on her, soon she could feel her husband's tongue against her skin and she cried out, holding onto the back of his head with one hand while it was moving up and down repeatedly to her pleasure. "Don't… don't make me come," she breathed after another moan. "I want you inside me when I do."

Shuddering at that, Castle finally forced himself away from her and as he made his way back up her body he gently squeezed her left breast before he kissed her. He felt Beckett tense and then jump a little against him as she responded to the kiss, knowing she could taste the honey on his tongue. "You know what I want to do?" he asked after they'd stopped for some air.

"To me?" Beckett asked with a slight smile on her face as she put her left hand above her head and her right was between them, stroking his bare chest.

"To you," Castle said. When she nodded; for him to continue; he said, "Let me fuck you my love."

"Oh good, I was going to ask," Beckett said with a wider smile before she pulled him to her for another kiss. That one was very passionate, their tongues rolling together for a moment before he was pulling back, nibbling on her lower lip hungrily before he was moving away from her completely. "Hurry," she breathed as he brought her hand down in between them to help him enter her. "I could feel you inside of me while you were taking my breasts," she teased him, wanting to let him know that he could be a little rougher that night. She thought he was going to reply to that, but he was soon inside of her and she cried out as he groaned at their coupling until it became a sigh of relief, as she finally had what she'd needed all through his pleasuring. She was going to wrap her legs around him when he suddenly sat up on his knees and held her legs up, spread as wide as he knew she was comfortable with. A quick thrust and she was digging her nails into the bed under her as the explosion of pleasure from the friction between them was intense and she hurried to follow his rhythm as their bodies began to rock together.

Castle watched his wife closely as he allowed his body to take over moving for him, loving the way she looked as she started to almost claw at the bed sheet under her. He was feeling the same pleasure he could see her experiencing, groaning slightly under his breath as their hips smacked in the beat of the movements. He soon found himself a little annoyed with the position though; as usually happened when they used that one; and he was quickly putting her right ankle on his shoulder, wrapping her other leg high around his side before he let himself lean down to kiss her. With the angle he was at he was able to speed up slightly more and he took full advantage of that as he could feel Beckett doing the same too. With their bodies much closer together they were pressing against one another, skin slick with sweat as they slid against the other. He shuddered at the sensation, as it was more for him to feel besides her. But there was enough with just her as the friction between them was a little stronger and he was getting inside of her a bit deeper. He pulled away from the second quick kiss he gave her to look down at her breasts as he reached for them.

Feeling Castle's hand running across her mound Beckett gasped out slightly, feeling him shaking in response to that. She felt him suddenly change the way he was thrusting when she cupped his cheek and opened her mouth to cry out as he was ramming into her, short, but rough thrusts that weren't part of the rhythm he'd established before. It was a quick jolt to her body, and she felt each one race through her, finding every inch of her to inundate with the sensation. She nearly lost it then but finally her husband went back to how he'd been thrusting previously, running his hand up and down her leg as they were staring at each other. "Rick…" she breathed.

"What do you… want," Castle hissed as she suddenly worked her muscles around him and he was nearly dizzy with the abrupt increase in friction as he didn't stop moving.

"I don't know…" Beckett moaned, putting her arms above her head. She felt Castle suddenly pull away from her then and she was about to cry out in protest when he was burying his face between her legs. The sensation of his tongue all around her sex and especially her clit was quick and she was grasping onto the pillow underneath her head as if for dear life. She nearly reached her climax after a few minutes of him doing that do her, but thankfully in time he stopped and she sat up before he could get back inside of her. She kissed him frantically, wrapping her left arm around his neck as they were fighting again in their mouths, pushing back and forth as they tilted their heads in response to their movements. Finally though she moved back a little to watch him and then reached down to his member, taking it in her hand and proceeding to stroke it very carefully and slowly. "Move with me Rick," she instructed him, her tone not leaving any room for any kind of argument from him.

Almost instantly, Castle was doing as she asked, breathing out roughly as he had to follow her pace and the difference between that and the rougher, faster rhythm of their lovemaking made him a little frustrated. But before he could get too irritated his wife was leaning over, tilting her head up to kiss him which he rushed to respond to. He knew she meant it as a distraction and it had worked because he felt a little bit calmer, though it was hard to calm down completely when he was being pleasured. Looking down at her hand he finally grabbed her wrist, holding her hands in between the two of them as he stared into her eyes.

Beckett wanted to speak, to suggest to him how to take her, but she found herself unable to respond before he was making her turn around, facing away from him. She thought he might try to spread her legs; to take her like that; but instead he was brushing his lips over her back that wasn't covered by her hair. She bit at her lower lip roughly in response, closing her eyes tightly as he went down all the way to the small of her back, her skin literally tingling with his touch. She felt him sit back up then and his hands defining the shape of her hips, nearly making her cut her teeth into her skin. He did that a lot, as he had told her he liked to feel what her form was like, since he had fantasized about her so many times in the past that he wanted to take advantage of knowing her body by heart since he could. She moaned softly when he suddenly squeezed her ass and she turned around, throwing her arms around him. She then proceeded to lie back on the bed, taking him with her since she was still holding onto him. When he easily slipped into her body again she tightened her grip on him, hearing him grunt in response before they started to move together again, thrusting carefully together at first before they were soon slipping back into their rhythm before. She could feel the slight burn of them together, moving together, and the pleasurable fire that brought with it seemed to shoot straight up her spine, eventually settling in her breasts. With that she reached up to the back of her husband's head, bringing him down to her left mound, watching him with bated breath as he flicked his tongue out to the nipple. "Rick!" she cried as the first touch of his tongue sent a bolt of joy through her, joining where they were coupled together.

Castle carefully took the taut nub into his mouth with that response to him and proceeded to suck carefully at her. While he was doing that her legs tightened around him and he soon reached down with one hand, trying to slip it under her hip. It took him a little time but he got it and managed to tilt her up toward him. Her legs slid from where they were clasped around his waist to a little higher up and he groaned as the first time he sank inside of her he could feel her still incredibly tight and extremely wet against him. He felt his heart pounding, which beat down within her, meeting the pulsation of her sex about his erection. He had to wonder if he was going to get tired of those rhythms he and Beckett loved to play with after so many years doing that and decided it was unlikely, they were enjoying the differences between them too much to stop. He then moved from her breasts he'd been thoroughly exploring to her lips, kissing her passionately as soon as they parted for his tongue.

Feeling herself getting nearer and nearer the edge, Beckett was digging her nails into Castle's back, trying to withstand everything that he was making her feel at the same time. But as he kissed her harder and harder with each quick breath they took she lost that war with herself and was soon throwing her head back, crying out in ecstasy to him, "Oh Rick, I can't stop… I love you! Rick!" as she lost the pace she'd been moving with him at.

"My love… Kate… I adore you… love you," Castle grunted in response to her, almost unable to get the words out but wanting to make sure she could hear as well as feel the pleasure he was getting from her. He thrust a little harder and then suddenly reached in between them, rubbing at her still very swollen clit until she was nearly clawing at the backs of his shoulders, almost screaming his name as her second climax struck. He wasn't able to hold out for long against the sudden sense of his wife trying to draw his orgasm out of him and he was soon with her, groaning her name a few times into her neck before they rode out the rest of their orgasms. He wasn't aware when he stopped, all he knew was that he suddenly had and luckily he wasn't fully on top of his wife's body. "Love," he murmured when he felt her run her hand over the back of his head.

"Hmm, I think you needed that more than I did," Beckett replied with a smile as he moved and looked at her.

Castle didn't reply to that, merely leaned over a little before he kissed her roughly. He felt his wife's moan, knowing she wanted the kiss, and went into it eagerly until she finally broke it off, feeling her panting against his lower lip. "Sorry, had to get that out of my system," he said in apology.

"Good, because I need to do this," Beckett replied before she was kissing him, pulling him down fully onto her body. She slid her tongue into his mouth before he was trying to fight hers back into her own but she won out and they were soon parting just slightly to get the briefest gasp of air before they were back together, lips crushing each others. When it became close to the point where she felt like she could pass out from a lack of oxygen she moved away and started to caress her husband's cheeks gently. "You remember us doing this for three years don't you?" she asked, a wide smile on her face.

"Oh I do; many different positions from that book of course," Castle told her. "And yeah, you're feeling the same way I am?"

"Depends, it could either be satisfied or glad you're here," Beckett said teasingly.

"I… hmm, you know both could work," Castle started to say before he continued. He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers saying, "Tired?"

Taking a deep breath as she stretched, Beckett had to bite the side of her mouth as the movement reminded her they were still very intimately connected. And him as well she knew when he groaned under his breath, making her smile again. She put her arms above her head, watching as his eyes stayed glued to her breasts almost and rolled her hips before letting out a moan that time as she couldn't resist it. "Does that feel like it?" she finally said in response to his question.

"Not really," Castle replied, swallowing a little hard at the feel of her again. He was tempted to start moving himself, to get himself fully aroused again, when she stopped him. "Oh no, now what?" he groaned heavily in complete frustration, unable to hold it back.

Beckett smiled at his reaction and then pushed on his shoulders. Luckily he got the message and withdrew from her; making both of them sigh. As soon as she was sitting up with him she gently kissed his lips and whispered against them, "Get another glass of scotch, not a lot, just enough for you to use."

"Use how?" Castle asked, though he already had a pretty good idea what she meant by that.

"That I leave up to you," Beckett replied simply, though she knew what he wanted to do. And since it was what she'd wanted in the first place she didn't mind his question. She watched him as he left her and then lay back, biting at her lower lip for a moment as she could still feel him within her, taking her roughly. When he came back she sat up again and was surprised when he handed her the glass without a word, going over to the closet. She couldn't see what he was doing but heard him rustling around in there before he came back to her, holding something behind his back. "And that?" she asked, nodding to him.

Moving his hand, Castle showed her her vibrator, not surprised when she looked a little interested in seeing it. "I'll tell you what you'll do with that later," he said as he set it down on his nightstand and then climbed back up on the bed, taking the glass.

"Oh really? What if I have my own plans for that?" Beckett asked him with a smile. She wasn't surprised when Castle didn't reply to that, instead he dipped his thumb into the liquor, spreading it across her lower lip before he leaned over, kissing her deeply, taking it with his tongue before plunging it into her mouth. They fought a little roughly as they were kissing, but she enjoyed it greatly, everything inside her immediately responding to him. "I think I know what you want to do now," she breathed when they parted, both of them almost gasping for air.

"I'm glad you do, been a long time since I got to watch you," Castle told her, dipping his fingers into the scotch again, shaking some off his fingers. He then went to her breast, rubbing the liquid into her skin almost, circling her nipple repeatedly as they both watched the nub grow immediately taught in response to him. "Are you ready by the way?" he asked.

"I'm married to a pervert," Beckett teased him. "And not yet." She slid her fingers over Castle's hair as he leaned down and took her breast, suckling her nipple, taking the scotch off before he pulled away. When he repeated the same action to the other one she became a little impatient, suddenly realizing why her husband had been so frustrated earlier. "So now we can start," she said as he shook the glass with the rest of the liquid just barely darkening the sides of it.

"Not just yet," Castle told her. And with that he had her sit up; making sure her stomach was flat. Handing her the glass he kissed her to cajole her into doing that for him without saying a word. Luckily she moved it to between her breasts and once he was ready, he watched her pour it down to his mouth. Since it had gone in a trail down her upper torso, he was quick to lick it off her skin, flicking his tongue deliberately, to make sure that she could feel him. With her soon writhing underneath him he knew she had and he was quick to move, stopping and grabbing her vibrator until he detoured to her lips, kissing her deeply as she was responding very swiftly.

When he pulled back, Beckett took her toy from him and said, "I still say I married a pervert. And also you do the same as me."

"I think we both married perverts," Castle teased her before he leaned over to kiss her again. He sat on his knees between her legs and waited with his hands on his thighs as she reached down with her hand to her mound. He was almost holding his breath, watching her touching herself, running her fingers in turn in circles around the swollen nub until she reached over to him. Though he knew what she wanted, he let her move his hand herself until he was grasping his erection. "Now?" he asked.

Beckett smiled at him and turned on her vibrator before she put it down onto her folds. She watched him staring at her intently, running it up and down herself until he was grabbing her wrist. When he led her hand up to her clit she started running it in a circle there, breathing out in joy at the feel of it, the vibrations feeling like they were running straight to her breasts. She reached up with her free hand and started to fondle herself, noticing Castle watching that as well. She wanted to smile as he had paused in pleasuring himself to see what she would do and to just gaze at her. In that she could see the power she had over him and she wondered if he knew that he could do the same to her as well.

"Stop," Castle said suddenly, almost as if he'd heard his wife's thoughts. He reached down and pulled her hand away from herself, both at her sex and her breasts. He then caressed her right breast, teasing her nipple a little to her moan of pleasure. When she put her hand on the back of his neck he let her lead him down to her chest, taking her breasts enthusiastically before he made himself move back. Taking the vibrator he switched it back on as low as it could go before he handed it back to her. Watching her again as she brought it down to her clit, he looked over her body as she arched her back with a moan.

"Rick," Beckett breathed then, moving his hand down. She smiled for a moment and then focused back on what she was feeling, though with the vibrator on so low she didn't feel too much.

"Easy," Castle said as he saw her starting to turn up the toy higher. He took her hand and had her slowly run the vibrator around her clit, directing her movements. He then moved at the same time on himself, though he found himself preferring to watch her a little longer.

Beckett finally couldn't take it anymore and she turned the vibrator higher before she set it back down on herself, running it around herself again. She moaned and reached up to her breasts yet again, touching and playing with them as she had done before. "Tell me when you're close," she told her husband.

"Yeah…" Castle said distractedly as he'd sped up his hand at the same time she'd sped up. He was soon breathing roughly as the sensation of pleasuring himself was travelling through his body. It was as if he was stroking his entire body, not just his member. But he kept his eyes on Beckett, wanting to make sure he saw when she was close to reaching the edge.

The two were touching themselves for so long that they nearly got off before Beckett was suddenly turning off her vibrator, making him let go of himself. "Sorry, I didn't want to come yet," she told him with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"That's okay," Castle murmured, leaning down to her and kissing her hungrily. When they'd let their tongues roll around each other for a while he pulled away and then said, "I think I'm getting a little jealous of that thing," nodding to the vibrator he soon took out of her hand.

Smiling a little wider at that, Beckett said, "Don't worry, you don't need to. While that's pretty nice, it's not enough, I need more."

"So can I be the one to give it to you love?" Castle asked her with a quick kiss before he set the toy on his nightstand.

"You might," Beckett said before he closed the gap between them. But she was a little quicker than him that time, kissing him deeply before he could. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and eventually slid her arms around his neck, holding him as close to her as she could. "Hmm, you should move a little to the left," she teased him as she could feel his erection against her thigh.

"Not yet," Castle told her before he moved to tuck a couple pillows beneath her hips. But instead of placing them directly underneath her, he placed them a little down from her, so he could grasp his wife by the hips, and pull her onto them. He smiled when she cried out in surprise at that and he moved to lie between her legs, whispering into her ear for a few minutes before she nodded. At her permission with that, he reached down in between them brushing his fingertips over her folds. He groaned at how slick they were and he couldn't wait anymore, moving to slide within her after he'd made her take his length with her hand. Groaning once he was fully in her, he breathed, "I love you Kate."

"I love you too Rick," Beckett replied with a momentary smile as he was looking at her so intently. "Take me, fuck me now," she whispered to him after she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. When he started to move, roughly, she gasped out briefly before she put her feet flat on his hips, letting them fall open as widely as they would go. The first thrust he made into her after that made her cry out softly in pleasure as the friction was leading straight through her body from where they were coupled. The heat from that traveled all over, making her feel like she was on fire and she didn't want it to stop. She took her husband's kiss then, drawing his tongue into her mouth before he could slip it inside hers himself. "Please…" she suddenly found herself begging him when they parted.

Looking at his wife closely Castle studied her before he reached down to her clit but wasn't really able to pleasure her that way since their bodies were squashing his hand. So he decided to try something else he knew she liked when she begged him like she'd just done. He slipped his hands underneath her, grasping her ass to tilt her hips further up than the pillows were putting them. He lunged his legs against her and with that extra leverage he was getting into her harder and deeper, grunting as she cried out below him. He kept moving, trying to go faster though he'd reached his limit on his speed. "Come on love," he groaned to her, nearly hissing the words at the same time. "Come for me, let me feel you Kate."

Biting her lower lip hard at his tone of voice, Beckett's arms were above her head and when she felt she could still touch the headboard she started to use that to move with him. With their hips suddenly slamming together with a heavy smack the added jolt that provided was too much as she arched her back almost in a curve, crying out her husband's name nearly deliriously and repeatedly as each wave of ecstasy seemed to crash through her, making her heartbeat roar in her ears. She dimly heard Castle yelling her name a few times as he joined her and she didn't stop moving, wrapping her legs around his waist to allow her to feel him still inside of her as they didn't part though they'd finished. It was little surprise to her that they both reached a second orgasm nearly at the same time and she held onto him then around his neck, their bodies undulating together for so long that it was a shock when she finally collapsed to the bed, motionless. But she could still feel him moving against her and still roughly once, then twice before he shuddered and collapsed on her. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, kissing him hungrily on the lips as soon as he turned to her.

For a time, the room was quiet except for the sound of the fire crackling before the sound of the bed sheets rustling joined that and it was calm once more.

Listening to his wife sighing as he ran his fingers through her hair, Castle smiled as he then ran his nails over her back once he got to the ends of her hair. "You enjoy that?" he murmured to her as he kissed the back of her shoulder as she was lying on her stomach as he was.

"How many times do you ask me that," Beckett asked him in a mock irritated voice. She then smiled at him and gestured to him with her finger before he was kissing her. At the same time his hand was running over her bare back and she shivered in pleasure at his touch, which inadvertently broke off their kiss. "Watch out," she told him before she turned over onto her back.

"You know this way is a lot more tempting," Castle commented as he looked down at her breasts.

"I'm pretty aware of that," Beckett told him before she pulled him down to her lips. They kissed, but only for a moment before he had pulled away and was stroking her cheek, leading her to ask, "I think I've made up my mind."

"About what?" Castle asked before he leaned down and started to press kisses around the hollow of her throat.

"We'll go down for breakfast tomorrow, eat with the others and then come back up," Beckett said. She laughed when he looked a little confused at how she'd stopped talking a little abruptly and she finished saying, "To stay here for the rest of the day; all day."

Shuddering immediately at the thought of that, Castle raised his head and brushed his lips across hers. When he could he told her, "I'll agree with your plans but that's probably not a surprise."

"It's not," Beckett said with a slight laugh. "And then the next day we'll head to Shirley."

"But going back to tomorrow," Castle said, before his wife rolled her eyes at that. He reached up then to her chest and fondled her right breast before she stilled his hand, letting him cup her mound. "Do we even have to go down to breakfast?" he finally asked her.

"Yes," Beckett said simply. She then put her hand under her head and reached up to his mouth, stroking his lower lip with her fingertip. She smiled when he pressed his lips to her and she said, "But I have to tell you it's kind of tempting to stay here."

"You don't want to see Mrs. Daggett do you?" Castle asked knowingly. When she shrugged he said, "Then the couple." When she nodded he continued with, "I bet you they'll leave tomorrow morning; before breakfast."

"Bet me what?" Beckett asked. When her husband looked at her with slight surprise she told him, "I think Nigel might try to convince her to stay."

"He might be a little uneasy after the way she was looking at me," Castle said. "And to tell you the truth, I'd be glad for them to head out."

"It made you uncomfortable," Beckett said with a smile. "But when I stare at you…"

"Completely different thing," Castle insisted right away. He smiled when Beckett shook her head and said, "It is, because when you look at me like that, you're not trying to eat me… well, at least not in the negative way."

Beckett sat up then and pulled her husband up as the covers fell down around their waists. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared at him before saying, "Still not negative?"

Smiling at that, Castle slid his hands down her sides, watching her shiver in response before he pressed his forehead against hers. "Want to know something Kate?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Beckett asked simply, leaning up so she could press her lips to his jaw.

"Mind if I do this?" Castle asked before he pulled her onto his lap, making her straddle him.

"Oh Rick," Beckett sighed, putting her arms around him again as she'd let go in the surprise of his moving her. " _You should know the answer to that already_ ," she chided him gently. " _You can have me any time you want_."

" _Like right now_?" Castle breathed, thinking for a moment before he finally laid her down; her legs wrapped around him not breaking their closeness.

"Right now," Beckett whispered as she cupped his face in her hand.

They began to make love then, going very slowly and carefully that time as something with them just laying together and quietly talking had lent itself to them wanting to take things more slowly. Castle and Beckett took the time to explore each other and they made that bout last for much longer than they'd expected. When they'd finally come down from their high they laid down again, that time on their sides with him pressed up behind her, as closely as he could since it provided more warmth to them both.

After kissing his wife, Castle murmured again that he loved her, needing to say it. When she replied, he smiled and took her lips with his again slowly before parting from her.

Lying quietly after that Beckett soon fell asleep, the fatigue of their night together catching up to her before she could stop it. Losing herself in sleep, she gave herself up to her dreams as she felt very warm after the chill of the night around the home and she rested peacefully.

Pressing a kiss to Beckett's temple, Castle watched her closely before he finally had to lower his head. He sighed a little, holding her more securely to him as he closed his eyes. Like her, their lovemaking was enough to put him to sleep quickly and soon he was dreaming of his wife. Dreaming of how he was going to take her the next day, he was even then determined to show her as much as he possibly could how thankful he continued to be to still be able to experience their love emotionally and physically with her.


	15. Epilogue- Snow White Blanket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Footprints by Paul McCartney and Eric Stewart, from Paul's album Press to Play.

When she opened the door a crack, Julia felt the tiny hand in hers pulling on it before she turned to her and whispered, "It's okay, they'll want to wake up so they can go remember?" After Eliza had nodded, her brown eyes wide, she pulled her little sister into the room and they walked quietly together to the end of the bed. She helped the toddler up onto it before she climbed up after her and she held Eliza's hand again as she started to jump up and down crying, "Wake up Mommy! Wake up Daddy!"

"Up! Up, up!" Eliza giggled as she jumped with her sister.

"Oh geez, I thought it was an earthquake," Castle said with a groan as he and Beckett were quickly jolted awake with the shaking.

"What are you two doing up so early?" Beckett asked sleepily, sitting up though her husband was trying to hold her against his chest still.

"Go to see horsies," Eliza said eagerly, going down to her mother quickly, wrapping her arms around her.

"Alright," Castle said with a sigh, sitting up. "Come here Julia," he told the little girl. Once she was sitting on his lap he said, "I'm not surprised that you want to go, but we need to take your grandfather, and he's probably not up yet."

"We can wake him up," Julia said quickly. "But we won't jump on the bed," she then added.

"We'll wait for him," Beckett replied. "Plus," she said to Castle. "We do need to have breakfast. What do you have against getting up now?"

"I think he wanted to lay down with you for longer," Julia said matter of factly. "Didn't you kiss last night?"

Giving his daughter a mock-glare; which made her giggle heavily in response; Castle sighed and said, "Okay, we may have done that already. But it's a holiday remember, you're supposed to sleep in."

"Oh! Happy Thanksgiving Mommy, Daddy," Julia said quickly in remembrance of that. "And Happy Thanksgiving Lizzy."

"Happy Thanks!" Eliza cried, throwing her arms around her mother's neck.

After Beckett and Castle had told their daughters the same, she pulled on the front of her husband's shirt before their lips met. She kept that kiss gentle, as Eliza was burrowing her face into her chest, but lingered a little longer than she'd meant to before she pulled away.

"I think that's Mommy's way of saying she's thankful for you Daddy," Julia said with a wide smile.

"Yeah," Eliza said, reaching up to grasp her mother's aquamarine pendant.

"Then let me reciprocate that," Castle said. And with that he leaned over to close the gap between him and Beckett. He was a little surprised and more than pleased when she leaned over at the same time and they kissed again.

"Can we go eat breakfast now?" Julia asked, squirming a little impatiently when they'd parted.

"You don't want to stay longer?" Beckett said with a smile, running her hand over Julia's hair to try and smooth it.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you guys in a while," Castle said.

"You came home yesterday," Julia pointed out though she had a slight smile on her face.

"But we still want to stay here with you, spend time with you," Castle said, tickling her side and making her laugh. "What about you Eliza? Want to go?"

Shaking her head shyly, Eliza giggled and stood up next to her mother, wrapping her arms around her neck again. "Horsies?" she then asked.

"In a little bit," Beckett promised her. "Are you sleepy?" she asked the toddler.

"I guess she changed her mind about staying," Castle said, laughter in his voice as Eliza started to walk to the edge of the bed.

"Hold on sweetie," Beckett said, grabbing her before she could fall. "You didn't say good morning to your daddy."

"Morning Mommy," Julia said, going over to her as Eliza went to Castle.

"Okay, now we can go," Castle said after the toddler had shared a noisy kiss with him. He picked Eliza up as Beckett and Julia got off the bed, waiting for his wife to get her robe. He was going to start leaving the room when Eliza squirmed in his arms making him put her down so she could leave with her big sister.

"Go straight downstairs you two," Beckett called to them as she could hear them start running in the hall to the staircase. She handed her husband his robe, watching him put it on before telling him, "They're up an hour before we told Julia we were leaving."

Looking over at the clock on his nightstand he saw that she was right and Castle said, "I guess we should expect this now we told Julia she can join us on our Thanksgiving ride."

"I warned you," Beckett replied with a smile at the way he looked saying that. "But interesting she didn't demand to ride with us the whole time."

"I'm glad she didn't," Castle said. "Since she's not really the level where we are when we ride alone."

"Come on," Beckett said, starting to take his hand so they could go after their daughters. But before she could start walking she found herself turned around and in her husband's arms before she could react. "You-" she began to say before he was suddenly crushing his lips to hers. She couldn't blame him for wanting to do that, since their two previous kisses they'd had to hold back more than they'd wanted to. She parted her lips to his tongue immediately and held onto the back of his neck as they slowly stroked against each other before she was the first to move away. A smile spread across her lips before she told him, "That was nice, but we need to go."

"Yeah, just… promise me I can do that again later," Castle said, holding onto her still.

"When we can," Beckett said. "Remember our family is here."

"Hard to forget since we all got here yesterday," Castle said. He finally let her go and took her hand as they left the room. "Hey you two," he said when they got down to the kitchen. "I guess you're cooking," he said as the girls were looking into the fridge. "What will we be having?"

Giggling Eliza said, "You make it," pointing to him.

"I don't think I want to though," Castle said teasingly, going to her and picking her up, tossing her in the air slightly.

"Please," Eliza asked, closing her eyes tightly and clasping her hands together.

"Well… okay, since you asked so nicely sweetheart," Castle told her before he kissed her cheek. "You two can still decide what we have though."

"The pumpkin pancakes Daddy, remember!" Julia cried as she went to the pantry and grabbed the box.

"Okay, then let's get started," Castle said, sharing a kiss with Eliza before he handed her to Beckett.

"I can help Daddy," Eliza then said as she wound her arms around her mother's neck.

"You're right, you can," Castle said. "But you need your mommy to help you out."

"And what can we do for you?" Beckett said as Eliza jumped up and down in her arms.

Castle was going to reply, when Julia tugged on the sleeve of his robe, holding up an orange to him which he quickly took. "I guess making the orange juice as always." When they'd gone over to the machine on the counter; a housewarming gift three years before from Lanie; he went with Julia to the island in the middle where he had her help preparing the pancake mix. And as they'd been doing since their first trip to the Hamptons four years before, he and Julia made the pancakes together, with him holding her hand around the spatula, flipping them to her cry of joy.

"Good morning everyone," Martha said, going to the kitchen with Alexis and Jim with her.

"Oh good Grandpapa, now we can go riding!" Julia said excitedly though she then turned her attention to the pancake she and Castle were nearly finished with.

"Speaking of that, did they wake you up early?" Alexis asked with a smile, going over to Eliza who was sitting on the counter next to the juicer.

"Did you hear them?" Beckett asked instead of answering.

"I did, but I wasn't ready to get up yet," Alexis told her. She shared a kiss with her little sister before she went to Julia, ruffling her hair quickly before she took the plate that her dad handed her. She kissed his cheek and then gave the plate to her grandmother, starting to set the table for them as the pancakes were quickly being stacked.

When they had gotten enough for everyone, and as her father was taking the pan off the burner, Julia asked him, "Are you gonna make coffee?"

"Yes, you can get your sister," Castle told her before he went to the machine. "Does anyone else want coffee?" he called.

"I made a pot of regular coffee for them," Beckett said as she took the carafe over to the table. She was going to go over to Castle and their daughters who were with him, when Julia made her sit down. "I guess we're waiting," she said with a smile to the others.

"I have to wonder what you'll make today Dad," Alexis said. She smiled when Julia shushed her and Eliza mimicked the way the little girl was holding her finger to her lips. "Sorry, no spoiler alert," she said to Beckett.

"Do you think she's ready to ride with the two of you?" Martha asked.

"She is," Beckett said, since she knew her mother in law had been worried about that since they'd told their family about letting Julia ride a little with them. "We'll be walking the horses and not going over any obstacles. And it'll be a good experience for her."

"Plus she's not riding with us for that long," Castle told her.

"I wish I could but Mommy and Daddy said my horse might get tired 'cause it's an older one," Julia said.

"I wanna go too," Eliza said then as she and her sister watched Castle start to run a toothpick through the foam at the top of their mother's cup of coffee.

"When you're older," Beckett said before her husband was walking over to her with their girls. She took the mug, and smiled at the leaf in the foam on top saying, "Is that for fall or for Canada?"

"Either way," Castle said. "They suggested a turkey, but that's a little more than I can do."

"I still like it," Beckett urged the two girls as they were looking at her a little worriedly. She took his hand but instead of just squeezing it she tugged on it a little, bringing him down to her so they could share a quick kiss.

"Okay, you guys can go ahead and start eating," Castle told the others who were all drinking from their glasses of orange juice at the same time nearly; except for the girls.

"We'll wait, get your coffee Richard," Martha urged her son.

While Castle went to do that, Beckett put Eliza into her high chair and she kissed the top of the toddler's head, smiling when she leaned back so they shared a kiss. She pressed her forehead against her youngest's, unable to help remember the day before when she and Castle had come home from their trip and the rest of their family had all gathered at the beach house.

* * *

_"How much longer?" Castle asked, standing in the doorway from the office to the hall._

_"You keep asking that," Beckett said, glancing at him as she rinsed out her glass. "And they'll be home… now," she said with a wide smile as they could hear their daughters entering the house with Martha down the hall. "Okay Julia," she said, going to the entry; Castle behind her. "Time to do your homework."_

_"Mommy!" Julia and Eliza cried at the same time when they had turned to her in surprise. They ran to Beckett, who wrapped them in her arms, and they hugged her together, kissing her cheeks and telling her they'd missed her._

_"I missed you guys too," Beckett replied, holding them tight to her. "Did we surprise you?"_

_"A lot," Julia said before she went to Castle first, wrapping her arms around his waist as tightly as she possibly could. "I missed you so much Daddy."_

_"So did I," Castle said before he picked her up and then Eliza. "Oh, I think you two grew while we were gone. My little girls aren't going to be so little anymore."_

_Eliza was kissing Castle's cheek then, though she was gigging a little at what he said. "Daddy I love you," she told him._

_"So do I," Castle said, sharing a kiss with the two before he set them back down. "Hello Mother, thank you for taking care of them."_

_"It was my pleasure," Martha replied, hugging him. "How was the trip in the end?"_

_"It was fantastic," Beckett said, squeezing her husband's hand before she let the girls lead her to the kitchen for a snack._

_"Oh, looks like everyone has arrived," Martha said when she heard the sound of a car pulling up outside._

_"It does, girls, your grandpapa and sister are here," Castle called. He shared a smile with his mother as the thud of their feet running back was loud and he had to stop them from racing out the open door. "Hold on, it's a little chilly now so let's wait here until they come inside okay?" he told them._

_"Mommy-" Julia started to say as she took her hand and her sister's as Castle was going outside._

_"I agree, it's too cold for you to go out," Beckett told them simply. She smiled at them and drew them to the bench where the closet was telling them, "Besides, I get a little time alone with my girls." Drawing Eliza onto her lap she said, "We brought you two something from Canada you know."_

_"You did?" Julia asked, that being enough to distract her from wanting to see her big sister._

_"Christmas?" Eliza said excitedly._

_"Not yet," Castle said as he came into the house with a suitcase. "In another month. But here's Alexis and your grandfather."_

_Watching the girls greet their big sister first, Beckett went around them to her father and she hugged him tightly saying, "How was the drive out Dad?"_

_"Not too bad, we talked about her trip to Akron," Jim replied. "And your trip?"_

_"We'll talk about it at dinner," Beckett promised. "But it was pretty nice."_

_"Okay, I'm going to unpack now, I guess I'll say hello to my granddaughters later," Jim said as the two were looking past Alexis at him by then._

_"Wait!" Julia cried and she ran over to him with Eliza, hugging him tightly. "We're glad you're here Grandpapa."_

_"Yay!" Eliza cried, giggling when her family laughed at that._

_"I'm glad to be here too, you'll have to tell me how school has been for you," Jim told Julia. "And show me anything you made doing art Eliza," he said, kissing the top of her head._

_"We're going to unpack ourselves," Castle told the others. "Are we giving them to them now?" he asked his wife. When she nodded he picked up Julia as she got Eliza and they went up behind Jim but ahead of Martha and Alexis who were talking rapidly behind them. Inside the room he said, "We just have our little suitcases to unpack," as he put Julia with her little sister on the bed. "So close your eyes before we start doing that."_

_Eliza looked a little unsure but looking over at her sister to see she was doing that she squeezed her eyes shut tightly._

_"Okay, open them," Castle said, holding their gifts out in front of them._

_"Moosie!" Eliza cried in joy as she grabbed the stuffed moose in her arms, hugging it tightly to her._

_"We thought you might like that one," Beckett said to Julia as the little girl was reading the cover of the book intently._

_"What's a fi-fi…" she started to say._

_"Fillies du roi and you'll find out when you read the book," Beckett pronounced for her. "And it's a good book; I think you might enjoy it."_

_"Did you read it?" Julia asked, looking up at her._

_"I did, but let's read it together before you go to bed at nights okay?" Beckett told her._

_Nodding, Julia hopped down from the bed and wrapped her arms around her mother tightly saying, "Thank you. Thank you too Daddy," going over to him to hug him._

_"You're welcome sweetheart," Castle said, hugging her back. "What are you going to name that Eliza?" he asked the little girl who by then was looking at her stuffed animal in wonder._

_"Moosie," Eliza giggled. She then tore her gaze away from it and reached up to her mother who walked up to her. "Thank you," she told Beckett. "You too Daddy."_

_"You're welcome," Beckett said._

_"Did you see these in Canada?" Julia asked eagerly as she watched her parents kiss Eliza before putting her back on the bed._

_"No, but I saw a Canadian goose, huge bird," Castle said as he and Beckett started to unpack their carry on luggage while the girls were sitting on the bed._

_"We also saw an eagle and red deer too," Beckett said. "Remember we told you about the island we went to."_

_"Big deer?" Eliza asked. When her mother nodded she bounced up and down on her knees saying, "I wanna see!"_

_"We'll show you pictures," Castle said. "After dinner," he quickly told Julia who he knew was about to ask._

_The rest of their time unpacking, Beckett and Castle were peppered with questions by their daughters about what they saw on their trip; obviously wanting to see their pictures. They took the two downstairs and asked them more about their time with their grandmother before Julia and Eliza were pulling them to the kitchen to see their artwork they'd done. As the two explained their pictures Castle and Beckett couldn't help hugging them tightly; feeling very glad to be back home._

* * *

Putting her foot into the stirrup, Beckett pulled herself up onto the saddle on her horse, and before she could follow Castle to their trail from the stables, she caught sight of the owner. "Charlie," she called, nudging the sides of her horse so it walked over to the man. "Hey, how's Thunder?"

"We're letting him rest today," the man said as he patted the flank of Beckett's horse. "Since it's a holiday after all. Why, did you want to take him into the corral?"

"No, I wanted a break too but we'll be back next week," Beckett said with a smile. "Tell Carrie I said hi."

"I will, Happy Thanksgiving," Charlie said, looking at her and then Castle who'd come back to them.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Castle said, Beckett echoing him. "I almost thought you'd want to work on him today," he told his wife as they then headed out side by side.

"It is a holiday and I'd like to give him a break, if I work on him too much it'll make his temper even worse," Beckett replied. "As for now let's go because we still have that second ride with our daughter."  
"Lead the way love," Castle told her. As soon as they'd reached the start of the trail; away from the stables and corrals he took off after her, both of them riding at a gallop.

The trail took them out into some trees and soon things were silent, not even the sound of cars touching their surroundings, only the breathing of the horses reaching them. When they got to the end of the small patch of woods they came to their normal stopping point, a creek. There they dismounted and led their horses to the water, standing next to each other as they watched them drink.

"You know you scare me with that horse a lot of the time," Castle told his wife.

"Is that what you were thinking about on the ride to here?" Beckett asked teasingly. She then laughed as he shrugged; which she knew was assent; and she told him, "Rick, I know what I'm doing with him. And trust me when I say I'll be careful; I only got thrown because the saddle was the wrong one."

"Well, at least he agrees with you about Western saddles," Castle commented.

"Hmm, I think his previous owner was too heavy for him and likely leaned against the pommel horn. Obviously it was painful. But I've gotten him used to the English saddle, so it shouldn't take me much longer to get him used to me," Beckett said.

"And when you've gotten him tamed," Castle asked.

"It's not taming him," Beckett said, smiling since he always teased her by calling it that. "It's calming him down. And when I have him set to be ridden, then Charlie will… sell him remember?" she told him, grabbing the reins of her horse as it had raised its head. "Okay, let's go," she said, pulling her horse with her as she started to walk down the trail.

Watching her Castle smiled at her back before he followed her and then caught up with her, leading his horse as well. They walked for a while then and after they'd gotten to a pair of trees on either side of the trail he quickly went to Beckett, stopping her before she could get back onto her saddle.

"What?" she started to ask before he was suddenly kissing her deeply. She took his kiss, wrapping her free arm around his neck as she was still holding onto the horse with her other hand. Parting her lips to his tongue, Beckett moaned in pleasure as he searched her mouth a little before he curled around her own tongue and they nearly started to fight against each other before they parted abruptly at the same time. "I almost forgot," she said, slightly panting as they stared at each other.

"I know, next time we go riding," Castle said. "Just the two of us." After Beckett nodded he stayed next to her horse until she was back on it and he then hurried onto his own before they were taking off at a gallop again, heading back to the stables.

"Julia," Jim said as he turned to find his granddaughter was gone from his side again. "Honey, remember you need to stay with me until they get back."

"I know, I'm sorry but I'm so excited to go with them," Julia replied as she hurried back from the entrance to the stable to him at a stall where her little sister in his arms was rubbing the forehead of the mare she was going to be riding.

"Remember you're not going to gallop though," Jim said, smiling as Eliza squealed in joy as the mare nibbled at her coat a little.

"I know, I'm not that good yet," Julia said. She then seemed to realize something and she looked at her grandfather asking, "Are you worried about me Grandpapa?"

"A little," Jim admitted after hesitating for a moment. "But I always worried about your grandmama and your mother when they rode, so it's no different with you."

"How come you don't ride?" Julia asked.

"I never really was comfortable around horses, to ride them," Jim explained. "Which is a shame since I'm surrounded by horse crazy women," he said as Julia giggled at that. "But that's the McCollough gene in your grandmama and your mother. And you two," he said, motioning with his finger between her and Eliza.

"Who's McCollough?" Julia asked in confusion.

"Your grandmama's family from Ireland," Jim replied. "That was her mother's name before she got married."

"Oh," Julia said before she smiled. "That's a nice name." She was going to say more when she heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance and she ran to the door looking out before her grandfather could stop her. "It's them!" she said eagerly, keeping her voice down so she wouldn't spook the horses.

"Hey sweetie, I hope you weren't waiting for us the whole time," Beckett said as she stopped her horse at the trough outside the stable before she dismounted. Leaving it there to get a drink she went to her daughter and hugged her tightly, leaning down to kiss her.

"When can I gallop Mommy?" Julia suddenly asked, thinking her mother looked even more beautiful with her cheeks red from the cold during her ride.

"Maybe next year, we'll see how you do with your classes," Beckett replied as Castle walked over to Jim who was holding Eliza. "How is she?" she asked her dad.

"Doing well, she's horse crazy too so of course she's happy here," Jim replied with a smile.

"Good, because we're going to go," Beckett said as behind him a stable hand was leading out the mare she'd decided was best for Julia to ride. "Okay, I want to have a quick little practice here before we go on the trail," she told her daughter.

"Okay," Julia replied, trying not to burst in her excitement to go.

Setting down some steps, Castle said, "Are you sure Kate?"

"Yes, she'll be fine," Beckett said, smiling as he sounded a lot like her dad asking her mother when she'd first ridden a full grown horse. "Now hold the reins, good. Remember to keep yourself straight… okay, nudge her into a walk…" she said to Julia once she was in the saddle.

Julia was able to slightly dig her heels into the horse's sides and it started walking before her mother had her turn the horse around in a three point turn. "Can I just make it turn around all the way?" she asked, going back to the others and smiling when she saw her little sister was staring at her with wide eyes.

"If you want to try but let me stand here in case you have any troubles," Beckett told her. She watched as her daughter easily turned the mare around in a u-turn and she nodded saying, "I think you're ready. And already a good equestrienne. Rick?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Castle said, kissing Eliza's cheek before handing her back to his father in law. He led his horse and Beckett's over to her and mounted after his wife had. He held his stallion back as she and Julia started ahead of them and he waved back at his youngest before he turned ahead.

"Is this what you did with Grandmama?" Julia asked softly after they'd gotten to the trail and were coming up to the trees.

"Not exactly the same, we rode in the park not really out in the country," Beckett said.

"I don't think this is exactly the country," Castle said.

"Close enough," Beckett laughed softly. "We're going to stop at one point," she said after they'd been riding for ten minutes. "And then turn around."

"Oh, I wish we could go on the whole trail that you and Daddy go through," Julia said in disappointment.

"We'll be here all day if we walk it," Castle said. "And you know your mommy and I need to make dinner."

Sighing, Julia then smiled and said, "This is fun though. Did you know that there's a gene that Grandmama had that she gave to us?"

"The McCollough gene?" Beckett asked with a smile. When her daughter nodded she smiled saying, "Yeah I did know, my mother told me about that."

"It passes to the women of the family," Castle said.

"It does?" Julia asked in amazement.

"Castle," Beckett said warningly. She turned to her daughter and told her, "Actually, no, it's just a trait that the women in her side of the family usually had. It's not passed down, it just happens."  
"Definitely did for Julia and Eliza," Castle said. "So they're definitely your daughters. Definitely McColloughs."

"Alright, turn around," Beckett said. She turned her horse a little ahead of Julia and asked, "Want to ride with your daddy?"

"Can I ride with you still?" Julia asked a little shyly.

"Go ahead, next time though you're riding with me," Castle told her.

"I promise," Julia replied before she and her mother passed him to head back to the stables. The ride was largely quiet as they looked around them and when she saw the stables she could see in one of them her grandfather, standing with Eliza next to him. "I hope she had fun," she said to her mother.

"Most likely," Beckett replied with a smile. When they reached the stable hands in front of the building she dismounted with Castle, watching as he helped their daughter down.

"Thank you," Castle told the two who got the horses and pulled them into the building. "Okay, time to head back home and get started on our Thanksgiving," he said as Eliza ran to her mother and made her pick her up. "Julia, now it's time for that ride." When the little girl looked at him in confusion he grinned and knelt down, his back to her.

"I'm not too big Daddy?" Julia asked with a smile.

"Nope, hop on," Castle said. Once he had her on his back he stood up saying, "Just don't dig your heels into my sides please."

"I won't," Julia said, waving at Eliza who was looking at her since Beckett was walking next to them. "At least you still get to go on his shoulders," she told her sister, in case she was jealous.

"Daddy is a horsie?" Eliza asked then, a wide smile on her face.

"I think so," Beckett said, smiling at him.

"For now," Castle said. "So love, how are we doing this once we get home?"

"They need baths, we need showers and we need to make dinner," Beckett said before she felt Eliza grabbing onto her pendant. "Sweetie," she said. "You do need to take a bath."

"With Jules," Eliza said firmly.

"In your tub," Beckett said, just as firmly. "You do have a bathtub to use in your room. But you can pick who gives you the bath."

"Daddy," Eliza immediately told them.

"Mommy," Julia then said.

"I'm surprised," Jim said as they reached the car and they put the girls down. "I thought they would have wanted me, Martha or Alexis to do it."

"I think it's because of our trip," Beckett said before her father nodded in understanding at that. "Okay, in the car so we can start our Thanksgiving," she told the two girls who were watching her and her grandfather as Castle waited to put them in the back.

At the beach house Jim was the first inside, seeing Martha standing at the top of the stairs. "She's fine, she enjoyed it," he told her with a slight smile.

"Oh of course," Martha said before the little girl in question ran inside, squealing with joy. "So you had fun kiddo?" she asked as she went toward the stairs.

"Julia," Beckett said before the little girl could start going up. "Your shoes."

"Sorry," Julia said quickly, turning and hurrying to the bench where Castle was taking off Eliza's boots she wore when they went to the stables with their parents. "Oh Gram, it was so fun, we only walked, but it was great. Mommy says I'm good with a horse."

"She is," Beckett said as she then took off her riding boots. "So we all had a great time. Right now though we're giving them baths, can you-"

"We'll watch them while you shower," Martha interrupted her, already knowing what she was going to say.

"Okay, then up you go," Castle said, grabbing Eliza and putting her on his shoulders.

"Sorry I can't do that sweetie," Beckett jokingly told Julia as she took her hand.

"That's okay," the little girl said with a smile on her lips. "At least you can carry me in the pool."

"That's true," Beckett replied, running her hand over her daughter's hair before they entered her room.

Inside Eliza's bathroom, Castle was helping the toddler undress saying, "Now sweetheart, I know you like to try and leave, so don't do that okay?" When all he got was her wide brown eyes staring at him he sighed and said, "It's too cold and you're not dressed now so stay here." He then got on his knees on the rug in front of the tub and reached across to place her bathtub crayons on the other side before he suddenly heard the heavy patter of her bare feet. "Eliza!" he called as he turned and saw her disappearing out of the doorway. He stood and grunted at the flash of pain from his knee before he took off after her.

"My goodness, Eliza, you're…" Martha said, coming out of Alexis' room with the young woman to see the toddler tearing out of her room.

"No luck this time?" Alexis asked her dad as he ran out shortly later.

"Never take your eyes off her," Castle said simply before he was following her into Julia's room.

Martha and Alexis shared a look before laughing as they headed downstairs to wait to watch the girls.

"Oh Eliza," Beckett sighed when she saw her daughter running into Julia's bathroom, naked. "You know you're not supposed to do that," she chided her gently as she picked the toddler up and placed her into the bath with her sister.

"Wanna share," Eliza said firmly. "And play," she said with a wide smile at Julia. She then looked past her mother's shoulder and hunched her shoulders, looking down at the water.

"Eliza, you are very headstrong but considering who your parents are that's not a surprise," Castle said, going over to the tub and getting on his knees.

Seeing the slight wince when he did that, Beckett reached over and squeezed his hand, his responding one letting her know he was okay.

"Sorry Daddy," Eliza said plaintively. "I wanna play with Jules."

"I know, well, at least you ran so fast you probably weren't cold," Castle commented. "Now give me a kiss and let me wash your hair."

"Now Julia," Eliza demanded after sharing a kiss with him.

"And next your mother?" Castle asked in amusement. He laughed when she nodded her head twice hard and he kissed Julia before kissing Beckett.

"Stay and start on Julia's hair, I have to get Eliza's things," she told him after they'd parted; unable to help lingering for a moment longer. Squeezing his shoulder as she stood, she left the room, hearing their youngest asking to help.

"I think you're a little short to reach her hair, so why don't you play with her crayons?" Castle asked as he got the showerhead attachment. "It's okay if she does right?" he asked Julia.

Nodding, the little girl tilted her head back and smiled as she was able to watch her sister start coloring on the wall in a tight scribble. "What is it?" she asked her.

"Sky," Eliza replied, sticking her tongue out before she stopped. She watched Castle washing Julia's hair and then looked up as her mother came back in. "Me too?"

"You too, or else dinner will be very late," Beckett said before she took the showerhead. At that same exact moment however, Castle was grabbing for it and they playfully fought for it as their daughters were watching and giggling before she got some water from the tub and splashed him.

"Ah, okay, take it," Castle said, laughing as he wiped the water off of himself. "I can never win against your mom," he said to Julia.

"Sometimes you do," the little girl pointed out before she was tilting her head back again. As he was rinsing her hair she asked, "Are we still gonna play games tonight?"

"Of course," Beckett answered for her husband. "And we're letting you two stay up a little later, since you're having your baths now. But only a little," she said, looking at them both.

"I wanna play," Eliza said. "Now."

"Hold on," Beckett said before she was putting the conditioner into the toddler's dark brown hair. "Okay, go ahead and play you two."

"And no tic-tac-toe Julia, really unfair to your sister," Castle said.

"But I never win against you," Julia complained before she giggled. "Okay, why don't we draw a rainbow?" she asked her little sister. At her nod she quickly started to color with her, and they tried to make the multi-colored arc, but it was next to impossible for Eliza to color like that, so they settled with getting all the colors of a rainbow on the wall.

"Alright you two, out," Castle said as he unplugged the drain.

"Did you draw the water on her bath?" Beckett asked him then as she held Julia's towel.

"No, you know she likes to go in as the tub is filling up," Castle reminded her, getting her towel that Beckett had brought. "Okay, we'll see you two in a little bit," he said as soon as he had the toddler in his arms. He carried her inside her room and said, "Now I get to see the outfit your gram picked out for you."

"Here they come," Jim said with a smile as he heard the others coming down the stairs a few minutes later.

"Oh, you two look adorable, come here," Martha said as the girls came in first, looking a little shy. She laughed when they ran to her, hugging her tightly around the neck at the same time as they told her thank you. "You're very welcome, both of you. I was happy to buy something for you." She then made them stand in front of her, Julia in a long shirt that belted at the waist with leggings and Eliza in a thin blue sweater, plaid skirt and tights.

"Alright," Beckett said. "You two listen to them while we're gone. And for now color," she said as Castle had put down their coloring books and colored pencils on the coffee table. She then left before he did, going up to their bedroom and straight into the bathroom. "I hate smelling like horse after these rides," she said to her husband as she looked at her reflection while she was taking her hair down from the ponytail she'd put it up in for the ride.

"I don't know, it's not terrible," Castle commented, starting to unbutton his shirt. "What?" he asked as he took it off and glanced at his wife, seeing her looking at him.

"You just like it because I take a shower with you," Beckett said as she took off her blouse and then trousers. "Though I have to ask, which do you like better; the ride or the shower after?"

"The ride of course," Castle said, going with her into the stall as they were both naked by then. He turned on the water and watched her stand underneath it, getting her hair wet. He couldn't stop himself, running his hands over her hair a number of times before she stepped back, pulling him by the hand underneath the water. Sighing as he knew they couldn't really fool around, he started washing his hair with her. But as soon as she had started to wash her body he was taking her bath sponge, holding her back against his chest.

Beckett bit her lower lip as she watched Castle running the soap over her skin, shivering a little in response as his touch was very careful and gentle. She breathed in once, deeply, when he ran the sponge directly between her legs and she pushed it over to her leg saying, "It'll be dirty tonight."

"Oh, so my making love to you makes it dirty?" Castle asked her teasingly.

"Absolutely filthy," Beckett said, turning and wrapping her arms around him tightly before she kissed him. She could feel the sponge in his hand still squeeze against the small of her back, soap running down until they parted, and she proceeded to clean him. She watched him before she reached his groin and cleaning him there she had to love the expression on his face as she stroked him twice before stopping and moving away to his legs. When they had finished she had to be the one to turn off the water, as he was a little stuck in place. "Rick, come on, we'll get dirty later," she called to him as she was looking down at her body as she began to dry it off, knowing that would drive him crazy.  
"Damn it Kate, I'm supposed to cook when I'm dressed," Castle groaned before he finally stepped out and went straight to her. Taking her towel from her hands he dried her off, watching her closely as he knelt to take care of her legs, making sure to take particular care with her sex.

"Rick… don't…" Beckett moaned softly as he had suddenly ditched the towel and used his fingers. With great difficulty she reached down and pulled his hand away from her before saying, "Later, I promise," she told him. "I saw your bottle of champagne so…"

"I thought I'd hidden that better," Castle said, making a face. He laughed then as Beckett rolled her eyes and he leaned down, kissing her a little hungrily. When they had to part to breathe he murmured to her, " _We drive each other crazy don't we_?"

" _We do, and we'll be doing that for each other tonight_ ," Beckett replied. She brushed his lips with her own before she left, glancing back over her shoulder to see him staring after her. "Take care of that Rick," she called back to him, seeing his arousal starting to show.

The jump from Irish to English spurred Castle to move and he started to dry himself off with another towel before he was going out shortly after her, watching her go into the closet clad only in her bra and panties. "You have to forgive me for this," he was able to tell her as he went after her, pushed her against the shelves for her shoes and took her lips fervently before she had a chance to say a word.

Beckett was almost going to stop him but changed her mind quickly when Castle held her against him, pulling her from the shelves. She responded to him until she finally was able to pull away and she said, "I think that's enough of an I forgive you. Get ready." And with that she grabbed a blouse before stepping around him and slapping his ass on the way out.

Smiling at that, since he knew she really wasn't mad at him for kissing her, Castle grabbed his own clothes and hurried out to get dressed with her.

"I'm surprised you two didn't want to do something else this whole time," Jim said as he picked up Eliza who'd gotten up from kneeling in front of the coffee table.

"We didn't want to play games yet," Julia said, smiling as she stood up as well and went to lean against her big sister. "Are you gonna help with dinner?" she asked her.

"If she wants to," Beckett said, coming up to the doorway with Castle behind her.

"Do you need my help?" Alexis asked, standing up after Julia had rushed over to her mother.

"We do, or else we're never going to get dinner on the table," Castle said. "So if you two want to go outside-"

"Can I help?" Julia asked eagerly.

"Sure," Castle said after he looked over at Beckett who nodded.

"Do you want to go out?" Jim asked Eliza.

Looking at her parents and sisters, the toddler then smiled and said, "Yeah, you too Gram."

"We'll take a walk down the beach a little darling," Martha said with a smile as everyone turned to her. She went to take her youngest granddaughter from Jim and said, "Let's get bundled up first."

"Okay, then the four of us should head into the kitchen," Castle said with a smile.

"Stay with your grandparents," Beckett said, waiting for Martha to reach her. She shared a kiss with Eliza and said, "And don't go in the water."

Giggling, the toddler nodded and then shared a kiss with her father before Martha took her over to the entry. She watched the others heading over to the kitchen and frowned for a moment before her grandmother set her down on the bench. "Do I help?" she asked her.

"Well, I think your grandmother and I would like some company on the beach," Jim said as he put on Eliza's boots for her. "You don't want to go with us?"

Eliza visibly thought for a moment; not realizing that to Jim she looked just like her mother; before she smiled and nodded saying, "Yeah." After she'd been bundled up in her coat and other layers she glanced back at the kitchen, hearing the others talk. She smiled when her grandparents took her hands then and walked over to the door to the back, going quickly as she couldn't wait for their walk.

* * *

"The turkey looks great," Castle said as he sliced it. "And I managed to get it before it burned."

"You weren't that close Dad," Alexis said wryly, grabbing a dish of green bean casserole to take to the dining room.

"I think I was," Castle said before Beckett touched his arm. "Are we ready?"

"Nearly," she said. "I hope they get back soon."

"Oh, they are," Castle said as he could hear the door to the backyard opening then. "And… hey David, Rebecca… and Mari too," he said in response as the Fosters walked in.

"Rebecca," Beckett said, seeing her friend. "I'm surprised you wanted to get out of the house today," she told her as she went over to her to exchange a quick hug with her. "How're you doing?"

"Good," Rebecca replied with a smile at Beckett's concern. She placed her hand on her six month pregnant abdomen and told her, "Kicking around like crazy on the walk here, but since I've been cooped up in the house for a while now, I had to get out. We saw your parents and Eliza walking, so decided to say hello."

"Very quickly though, our parents are nearly here," David said as Julia came to the kitchen then.

"Mari!" the little girl cried when she saw her friend. She ran to her and hugged her before saying, "I went riding with my mommy and daddy today!"

"Was it fun?" Mari asked. When Julia nodded she smiled and told her, "I'm jealous, I wish I could go. Maybe after my brother or sister is born."

"Come and see the table," Julia said. "Can she?"

"Go ahead," Beckett said.

"But really quickly Julia," Rebecca told her. "We need to go soon." When the two girls had left she said, "So how was the ride?"

"Really nice," Beckett said with a smile, glancing over at Castle and David who'd gone after Julia and Mari to the dining room. "But seriously, how are you?"

"Tired. Tired, tired and more tired," Rebecca sighed. "But happy too so that pretty much balances it out."

"Of course," Beckett said. "I have to ask though; how's David?"

"Worried, that hasn't changed," Rebecca said, shaking her head. "Protective too."

"And no surprise there either," Beckett replied.

"Now I have to ask, how was the trip?" Rebecca said to her.

"Good, we can talk about it more after the holiday. I'll come over maybe on Monday before the girls come back from school?" Beckett said.

"Sounds good to me," Rebecca replied. "What about your writing though?"

"We're going to take Monday off to recover from the holidays," Castle said, walking over with David and Mari, Julia with them as the others were walking down the hall towards them. "And then Tuesday, back to work of course."

"Then I'll see you Monday, Kate," Rebecca said, hugging her. "In the meantime have a great Thanksgiving."

"You too, the three of you and your family that's coming," Beckett told the entire family, not surprised when Mari giggled at that.

After saying goodbye to the Fosters and seeing them back out into the chilly afternoon, Castle and Beckett finished taking the rest of the food to the table, before they went to the family room where the others were.

"Can we eat now?" Julia asked, looking up at them as they walked to the doorway.

"Come on," Beckett said with a smile, holding her hand out to the little girl. "Before we eat though," she then said. "Go get the centerpiece you made at school."

"Oh yeah," Julia said before rushing to her parents' office.

"Any reason why we're eating so early?" Alexis asked her dad.

"Kate wants to walk on the beach after with Eliza," Castle told her, buckling the toddler into her high chair. "Want to come?"

"Well, since I think everyone else is going to be going; yes," Alexis replied, leaning down and kissing the top of Eliza's head.

"Okay, now we can start to eat dinner," Julia said, rushing into the room with the centerpiece, a cornucopia with fruit made out of paper maché in it.

"Did you make that?" Jim asked as he took it from her to put it in the middle of the food.

"Yeah, I think it came out nice…" Julia said, tilting her head. "I used tropical fruits 'cause it reminds me of when we went to see the Caribbean."

"Oh yeah, it does," Castle said, helping Beckett into her chair. "Sit down sweetheart so I can get a picture of us at the table."

Smiling, Julia went to her seat, and watched as her dad got her mom's camera on its tripod ready before he sat with Beckett. "I hope it comes out," she said.

"It should," Beckett said with a smile at her.

"Ready? One, two, three…" Castle said before the timer ended and the flash went off.

"Well?" Martha asked her son as he looked at the screen of the camera.

"Perfect," Castle said, handing it to his wife so she could see.

"He's right," Beckett said with a smile, handing the camera over to Julia then. "So if you don't have a camera in your hand, you can start serving yourselves."

"Here," Julia said jokingly, handing the camera rapidly to her sister.

"I guess she's hungry," Castle said before they all laughed and started to get their food onto their plates. "We'll have to see how she does this year," he said to his wife as he watched her setting Eliza's plate on the tray of her high chair.

"Likely the same, a mess, but hopefully most of it will end up in her mouth," Beckett replied with a smile as Eliza went straight for the cranberries. "Are you…?" she asked her husband then.

"Yeah, you did this last year," Castle told her quickly. He then helped Eliza eat off her fork, trying to help her pick up pieces of turkey. He ate himself at the same time, listening to the conversation which started with Jim urging his oldest granddaughter to tell them about school.

"That was a lot of fun," Julia said, looking at the centerpiece. "We had cookies after the statues were ready, and played games. I can't wait to see what Mrs. Watson will do before we leave for Christmas."

"Probably something really fun if she let you do that," Alexis said, smiling when her sister nodded in agreement.

"What are you planning on doing the rest of the Thanksgiving holiday?" Martha asked when there was a pause in the conversation then.

"Play with us?" Julia asked hopefully.

"Play! Please?" Eliza asked, looking back and forth between her parents who she was sitting in the middle of.

"We'll do that, and we'll have to get some things from the garage," Castle said, looking at his wife.

"On Monday after dinner," Beckett told him. "When we'll start decorating," she said to the others; except for Eliza and Julia. "I decided we should put a little space between that and Thanksgiving."

"Good idea," Martha said. "Well, tomorrow I would like to head out for some Christmas shopping."

"Are you leaving already Gram?" Julia asked in disappointment.

"Oh no," Martha was quick to assure her, smiling as Eliza looked sad herself. "I meant downtown."

"Can I go with you?" Julia said eagerly.

"Actually," Castle said, looking at Beckett again. When she looked a little confused at his stare and then smiled and nodded to him, he turned to the others telling them, "I just had the idea of us heading out together to go shopping."

"It won't be too cold for Eliza?" Jim asked.

"We won't stay that long with her," Beckett said, seeing Castle was nodding in agreement with her. "Just go to a few stores before we head back. But the four of you can stay as long as you want. As long as Julia doesn't get too cold in the end."

"I can't wait," the little girl said eagerly, squirming a little on her chair. "Are you excited Lizzy?"

Since she was looking at a cranberry in the cranberry sauce then the toddler didn't reply to that. But when she looked and saw that everyone was staring at her she giggled and nodded her head though she had no clue why she was doing that.

"Okay, so we've got that set," Castle said with a smile as they went back to their food. "And we'll take care of lunch too, since we'll have plenty of it."

"When are you three going back to the city?" Beckett then asked. "And I'm not asking to get you out of here," she said quickly as she knew her husband was likely to comment on that. "I'm asking to see if we could go out for brunch on Sunday morning."

"Oh, the Advent brunch at the Polo Club," Castle said in remembrance. "The guys on the team and I have been invited there," he told the others. "And I can take you three. It's not really a religious brunch; they just call it that because it's after Thanksgiving and before the Christmas season really starts."

"I'd like to go to that," Alexis said.

"Me as well, and we weren't planning on heading out until at least two or three," Martha said. "So we'll go and then spend the rest of the day with the girls," she said, smiling at Julia and Eliza.

"Almost forgot," Castle said suddenly as there was another pause in the conversation. When the others looked at him he raised his glass and said, "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving," Beckett echoed with them, Eliza trying to say the word but not quite getting it right. She kissed the top of her head before tapping her glass to Castle's and then Julia's before she tried to do the same with the rest of their family across the table.

* * *

"Okay, I have all the dishes washed," Castle was telling his wife as he dried his hands with a dish towel. "So we're ready to go." He turned to her as she had been drying off the counter of the island and he leaned down, pushing her hair out of the way before he started kissing the junction of her neck.

"Stop," Beckett said with a soft laugh as she turned towards him. "The girls are going to want to go."

"We will, let's just take a quick moment…" Castle began.

"A quick moment for what?" Beckett asked, looking at him suspiciously. She wasn't too taken aback when he didn't answer her, instead just gathered her up in his arms, kissing her. She was surprised when that kiss was very simple and she pulled back hurriedly saying, "What are you doing?"

"What, you think I have some kind of sinister motive behind that kiss?" Castle asked in amusement. "I was listening to what you said and you're right, the girls will want to go soon, so the quicker we get this done the less likely they'll interrupt us."

"Good," Beckett said simply before she cupped his cheeks in her hands and brought him down to her. She held onto him as tightly as she could then, arms wrapped around his neck while he put his about her waist. The kiss was simple, but they let it linger as long as they could, which was difficult since she knew one of them could easily deepen it.

Unbeknownst to the two, Alexis had left the living room where she was with the girls, pausing when she saw her dad and Beckett in the kitchen.

"Alexis, what-" Martha started to say, walking over to her when she saw that her granddaughter seemed to be frozen in the hallway. When Alexis covered her mouth with her hand she turned her head to the kitchen and saw then why she'd stopped. "Come on," she whispered, taking the young woman by the arm and leading her back in the room. "At least now we know we were both putting too much into too little."

"Can we go now?" Julia asked, looking up as the two came back into the room.

"Of course, Richard, Kate?" Martha called.

"We can go," Castle said. "Nice of you to ask us first Mother."

"Well, I thought it was high time we left," Martha said simply as they went to the entry.

For everyone to get their things on at once took a while as the girls had to be helped with some of them. But finally Castle was the last to finish and once his scarf was around his neck he followed the others out the backdoor, locking it behind him before they stepped out onto the snow.

"If you get cold sweetie," Beckett said as her husband caught up with her walking with their youngest. "Then just let us know okay?"

Nodding, since her mouth was covered by her scarf, Eliza looked up at her father when he took her other hand and she giggled behind the fabric before kicking at the snow.

"I wish we could play," Julia said. "Or have a snowball fight at least." She then turned around and walked backwards so she could look at her parents. "Did you play in the snow while you were in Canada?"

"A little, but we prefer to play with you guys so we only did that a little bit," Castle replied.

"Turn around sweetie," Beckett said, making the motion with her finger.

"Just one question and then I'll turn," Julia said. "When can we go snowboarding again? And what about snurfing? Can I do that too?"

"I think that was three questions… no, two," Castle said to his wife.

"Snowboarding we'll probably do in January like before. And as for snurfing… I'm not sure, we'll have to see if we ever come across it," Beckett told her.

"We could if we went where you went," Julia said. She then remembered something and said, "Oh, that's for adults huh?"

"It is, but don't worry, our next trip will be a family trip," Beckett assured her.

"I don't care that you and Daddy went by yourselves," Julia said with a shrug before she turned around and took her sister's hand again.

Sharing a glance at that, Castle and Beckett were then distracted by Eliza who pulled away from them and started to rush over to her sisters. They let her go, watching to make sure the two waited for their little sister to reach them without falling on the snow. After that they trailed behind the others a little, walking arm in arm as they went further down the beach until they had to turn back because it was getting darker.

Back at the house the family gathered in the family room after getting dessert and Castle had gotten the games for the girls.

"Eat your dessert Eliza," Beckett said as the toddler was trying to open the lid off the board game on top.

"Wanna play," she said stubbornly.

"We will, don't worry," Castle assured her, picking her up and putting her on his lap. "I want to go fishing too, don't worry. But for now, let's have some of the cookie on your plate here."

"My cookie," Eliza corrected him with a giggle.

"Your cookie, right, I have my own dessert," Castle said. "You're too smart you know."

Looking up at him, Eliza said, "You too Daddy."

"Oh, thank you," Castle said.

"Fishing for compliments Dad?" Alexis asked wryly, sitting at the coffee table with Julia.

"Apropos," Castle said, tapping the box on top of the short pile.

"Would you eat Rick, you're making them wait longer to play," Beckett told him, though her tone was amused.

"Sorry," Castle said, setting down Eliza at her insistence. He kissed the side of her head before she joined her sisters and he leaned back slightly saying to his wife, "I didn't know you want to play too."

Beckett merely gave him a look before she then smiled saying, "You know how many times they've been asking to do this. I figured it would be better to play before they go crazy from waiting."

"You make a good point," Castle said as he looked over at their daughters, seeing Eliza was eating her turkey shaped cookie, but was staring at the games. "Oh, kinda creepy," he said in a low voice to his wife.

Smiling at that, Beckett said, "Eliza, come here."

Looking up at her mother in surprise, Eliza stood up after setting down her cookie, looking at her fingers covered in frosting. "Mommy, I got dirty," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"I know, hold on," Beckett said, cleaning off her hand. "I'm letting you have a taste of pie okay?" she then said as she held Eliza in place before she could leave with one hand, and the other cut a piece of pie off with her fork with her other. "Since you didn't get the chance to last year."

"I'm a big girl?" Eliza asked with a gasp.

"Well, bigger," Castle said. "But you're still our little one," he said sternly, not surprised when Eliza giggled.

"I don't think you can be all that threatening Richard," Martha said wryly.

"I think Eliza's able to tell there wasn't any kind of threat behind that," Jim said with a smile.

"More than likely you're both right," Castle said, nodding to them.

"Warn me if you're going to spit this out," Beckett said as she fed the piece of pumpkin pie to Eliza then. She watched; her napkin ready in her other hand; to see if the toddler would eat it, and was surprised when she did. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that."

"She ate it?" Julia asked, trying to lean over to see her sister's face.

"More?" Eliza asked pleadingly. "Please?"

"Tomorrow when we have dessert," Beckett promised her. "And we'll let you have a little slice of your own." She laughed when Eliza squealed and kissed her on the cheek before doing the same to Castle. "Finish your cookie," she then told their daughter. "Everyone's almost finished."

"Time to play!" Eliza cried as she hurried around the table to sit again.

When everyone was done, and Jim and Martha had taken the plates to the kitchen to wash, Castle set up the first game as Eliza watched him like a hawk.

"You know," he said as his mother and Beckett's dad came into the room then. "I wonder if I should let you set this up?"

Shaking her head, Eliza quickly said, "Too hard Daddy, you put."

"And I have done it. Are you ready?" Castle asked once he'd finished. "Love?"

"You'll play the next game with them," Beckett said with a smile as she took the small, yellow fishing pole.

"Okay, here we go," Castle said as he turned the game on. "I'll get the music on," he then said as he quickly went to grab the remote for next to the TV. He kept his eye on the game though as the girls, Alexis and Beckett were trying to "catch" the plastic fish. He smiled as Eliza cried out as she caught a red fish, and Julia caught one after her, eliciting another cry from the toddler.

When the board had stopped turning, Beckett told Eliza, "Try and see how many fish you have."

"One, two… three?" Eliza asked her mother. When she nodded, the toddler smiled and said, "Four. Got four fishies Mommy."

"Great job, how many did the others get?" Castle asked; since he and Beckett used the game to teach their youngest how to count instead of using it as a competitive game.

"'lexis got four," Eliza said, touching the fish her sister got. "Jules got… six?"

"Count again out loud," Beckett told her.

"One, two, three… f-four, five. Five, Mommy," Eliza said. "And you got three, Mommy."

"That's right; do you want to play again?" Beckett asked as she let her youngest put back her fish.

"Yeah," Eliza said with a smile. "You play now Daddy."  
"Sure you don't want your mommy to play again?" Castle asked as he sat next to Beckett again on the couch.

"We're sure and then after we can play Life can't we?" Julia asked hopefully.

"We'll play the other game Eliza has here," Beckett said. "And after that it'll probably be time for her to go to bed. Once she's in bed, then we can play Life."

"I wanna see Mommy," Eliza suddenly said.

"You can only watch though," Castle pointed out. "Or I could play for you, but you would still have to watch."

"I want to," Eliza repeated firmly.

"Then that decides it I think," Martha said, slight laughter in her voice.

"It does," Castle said, trying not to laugh himself at how serious the toddler looked. "But for now," he said, shaking the hook at the end of his fishing pole. "Time to go fishing!"

After the second playing of the game, Beckett picked up the Life box and said, "We need to play in the dining room, so everyone needs to move."

"We're playing too?" Jim asked his daughter. He was a little taken aback when his granddaughters ran over to him, grabbing his hands and begging him to play. "I guess we are," he told Martha.

"Yeah, come and play too Gram!" Julia said, going to her as her grandfather was picking up Eliza.

"We have enough pieces to do that luckily," Castle said as they all moved to the other room. "I'm not sure what we're going to do when Eliza gets older."

"We'll double up," Beckett replied.

"We could," Castle said with a nod. He helped Beckett get everything set out on the table as the others were sitting or getting drinks and once they were all around the table he was spinning first. "Come here sweetheart," he told Eliza after taking her from Jim. "Remember don't put anything in your mouth or else we'll have to go play something by ourselves."

"I know Daddy," Eliza said with a sigh. She watched the others spin before Alexis went first and she looked on as the cars were being moved before her father spun for their turn. "Can I move?" she asked him.

"Go ahead, but we need to go five spaces, so count to five and then leave the car there," Castle told her.

Smiling as she watched them, Beckett was surprised to find Eliza was enjoying the game. When they'd finished in nearly an hour and added up their money; Alexis the winner that time; she looked at her watch and was startled to find that it was almost past the toddler's bedtime. "I think you need to say goodnight to everyone sweetie," she said, not surprised Eliza was yawning widely.

"Night Lizzy, we'll get to play tomorrow when we're back from shopping," Alexis said. "And we'll go out to play if it's not too cold hopefully."

"Yeah, maybe we can make a little snowman," Julia said eagerly. "Wait," she said as Jim stood to start to put the game away. "Mommy, Daddy, can we play after?"

"Leave it Dad," Beckett instructed.

"Goodnight darling, we'll see you in the morning," Martha said before she shared a kiss with her granddaughter. "Sweet dreams."

"You too Gram, love you," Eliza said with a smile.

"I love you too Eliza," Martha replied before she handed the toddler over to Jim.

"Love you too Grandpapa!" Eliza cried as she hugged him then.

"I love you Eliza, sweet dreams and like your gram said, we'll see you tomorrow," Jim replied, sharing a kiss with her before he handed her to Castle who had come over to him.

"We'll be right back," Beckett said as she went with Castle and Julia out of the room. Upstairs in Eliza's room she waited for her husband to change the toddler, watching as Julia helped hand him her little sister's pajamas. After Eliza was dressed, she wrapped her arm around Julia as she came over to her and said, "How was Thanksgiving?"

"Fun, but it's not over yet," Julia said with a smile. "The best one 'cause I got to ride with you and Daddy. And the dinner was fun too."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now though…" she said, standing up with her daughter as Castle came out with Eliza upside down. "Castle," she said warningly.

"Sorry Eliza, your mommy says that's enough," he told the toddler as he righted her. "But you had a nice ride over to your bed."

"Night Jules, can we wake Mommy and Daddy?" Eliza asked as she wrapped her arms around her sister's neck.

"You two need to get more sleep tomorrow morning," Beckett said before Julia could reply to that. "Another day you can."

"Kay, love you," Eliza said to her sister, not seeming to be bothered by her mother's answer.

"Love you too Lizzy," Julia said with a smile before she stepped back to watch Castle pick her sister up, throwing her a little in the air to her squeal.

"Okay, so sweet dreams sweetheart," Castle told the toddler once he had her in his arms again. "I love you."

"Love you Daddy, too," Eliza said before they shared a kiss.

"I love you too Eliza," Beckett said, taking her. She shared a kiss with her youngest as well before putting her into her bed.

"Love you Mommy," Eliza said with a yawn as her mother tucked her in. After the net was in place on the side of her bed, she watched as her parents and sister went to the doorway, watching her. She decided to wait until they left to fall asleep; since she never got a chance to see that; but before she realized it, she was fast asleep herself.

"So this time," Castle said as they went downstairs after the door to Eliza's room was closed. "I think that I will win the game."

"You can't know that," Beckett scoffed, though she was smiling as she said that.

"Okay, then I will have money by the end of it," Castle said, not surprised when Julia giggled. He held his wife back as they left their daughter go into the room ahead of them, and then told her, "Are we talking to them?"

"Later, when Julia's asleep," Beckett said before she brushed her lips against his, taking him into the dining room where the others were already getting ready to start the game.

* * *

"Thanksgiving always goes too fast," Julia said with a sigh an hour later as her mother was brushing her hair. She was dressed for bed and was sitting on the edge of her bed with Beckett while her father was standing in front of them, waiting to say goodnight to her. She thought for a moment and said, "All the holidays are too fast."

"I know," Castle agreed. "That's what happens when you're having fun. So that means you did have fun today."

"Of course I did," Julia said with a smile. "I told Mommy I did. I can't wait for next year."

"Okay, say goodnight to your daddy," Beckett said, finishing with her daughter's chestnut colored hair. "We let you stay up late today."

"I think so you two would sleep in tomorrow," Castle said as Julia ran to him, hugging him tightly. "Definitely got taller while we were gone sweetheart."

"Not that tall," the little girl said with a smile as she looked up at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck after he'd picked her up, kissing his cheek and saying, "Thank you for today Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too Julia, sweet dreams okay?" Castle asked her. When she nodded he kissed her cheek before sharing a kiss with her, taking her to her bed where he set her down.

"Love you Mommy and thanks for today, especially letting me ride," Julia said, hugging her mother tightly when she came over to her.

"Hey, I had some say in that," Castle pretended to protest.

"He did," Beckett said with a smile before she hugged her daughter tightly to her. "And I love you too. Sweet dreams and goodnight."

"Night," Julia said before she got under the covers and pulled them up for her mother to grab. She smiled when Beckett tucked her in and sighed as she relaxed with her Stitch doll in her arms.

As they'd done with Eliza, Castle and Beckett waited in Julia's doorway to make sure she slept. It took a little longer for that but not as much as it usually did that night and they closed the door and went down to the kitchen to get some coffee ready for their family.

"A very enjoyable Thanksgiving was had by all I think," Martha said as Castle and Beckett entered the room.

"I'll agree with that," Castle said before he looked at his wife.

"What's wrong?" Alexis asked, noticing how somber the two were in their glance at each other. "Dad, if you and Kate _are_ getting a d-"

"No, it's not that," Beckett said quickly. "We need to tell you about what really happened at the resort."

"What really happened?" Jim asked.

"We… sort of investigated a case there," Castle began as he took Beckett's hand tightly once they were sitting on the couch.

"You what?" Martha asked incredulously.

With that, Castle and Beckett explained the murders at the resort and their role in investigating who the killer was. They were a little hesitant when it came to the bomb and her believing that he'd been the victim but she managed to talk about it without much trouble. They skipped telling the others about his temporary amnesia, having decided it wasn't really that important to the story nor did they want to worry the three, and went to the point when they were reunited after Quentin had kidnapped Beckett.

"You're not in trouble at all are you Dad?" Alexis asked. "They're not going to investigate you or something are they?"

"No," Castle said shortly. "The police tested the gun there at the resort and saw that it did pull to the left and since Morrissey vouched that I had never known about his shotgun; having never been inside his cabin; they determined I hadn't murdered Quentin. And even if I had set out to shoot him in the chest, the fact that the man was about to murder my wife would have made it justifiable. I was saving her life."

"Well, I'm just glad you got out of that shack," Martha said. "But I can understand now why you two had to leave early."

"Yeah, we couldn't really stick around," Castle commented idly as he looked into his by then empty mug.

"I'm just glad you guys are okay," Alexis then said.

"I'll echo your sentiment Alexis," Jim said. "And with that, I'll head to bed. It sounds like it'll be a busy day tomorrow."

"It probably will," Beckett said, standing to give her dad a quick hug. "Night Dad."

"Goodnight; and that applies to you all," Jim said, nodding to the others. "I'll see you at breakfast."

"Actually, I think I'm going to head up to my room myself," Martha said then, standing. "And get some rest for shopping. A wonderful Thanksgiving and wonderful day in general. Goodnight all of you."

"Goodnight Martha," Beckett said, smiling at that before Alexis walked over to her and Castle. "You too?"

"Yeah, but I'm not going to sleep, I might read," Alexis said. "But Gram was right, it was a great day. Night."

"Night," Castle said. He then turned to his wife once they were alone, and he slid his arm around her waist murmuring to her, " _Now we're alone_."

Beckett didn't respond to that, though she couldn't help shiver in pleasure at his use of Irish. Instead she slipped out of his embrace and walked out of the room, allowing a single glance past her shoulder to her husband, smiling slowly at him once she saw his stare and she turned back as she saw him start to stride after her.

* * *

"Alright, show me your hand," Castle said, laying down his cards. When he saw that Beckett didn't have anything, he smirked at her and said, "I don't think you'll have much luck tonight," as he gathered up the cards from the top of the bed.

Giving him a look, Beckett watched him set aside the deck and then waited for a moment before she said, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"You were serious about that?" Castle asked in surprise.

Smiling, Beckett then asked, "You don't want to?" not surprised in the least when he scooted over toward her, beginning to unbutton her blouse. When he got the first one undone she was shivering as the tips of his fingers were automatically brushing over her bare skin. "I have to wonder why you thought I was joking about us undressing each other when we lost."

"Just because it's a risk," Castle said with a slightly distracted air. "We might start too soon."

"Nothing wrong with that," Beckett said simply. When her husband looked up from her blouse which he had finally opened, she said, "Maybe I'd like to be risky tonight."

Castle was frozen for a moment at hearing that and he saw that his wife was completely serious and not just teasing him. He then smiled at her, leaning towards her to take her lips in a kiss. He kept it very simple, not letting it last until he was moving back to see that she was taking off her blouse. Quick to help her he waited until it was on the floor next to the bed asking her, "Do you want to keep playing?"

Smirking at him Beckett said, "I'm sure you're afraid I'll win, but I'd like to give it a shot."

"Alright," Castle said with a slight grin. He sat back where he'd been before and started to shuffle the deck of cards before he dealt them. After they'd gotten their hands and had both gotten two new cards he said, "Let me see."

"Why am I going first?" Beckett asked, though she was laying out her cards.

"I… damn it," Castle said, though he didn't really sound that angry that he'd lost to her pair of queens.

"Come here," Beckett said with a smile as she grabbed him as soon as he'd gotten the cards out of the way. She kissed him as she started to unbutton his shirt, not bothering with keeping things gentle as he had before. She almost attacked his lips, plunging her tongue into his mouth before flicking it against his before he took hers, both of their appendages fighting. They were doing that so intently that she forgot to go the rest of the way on his shirt and it wasn't until her husband tried to unhook her bra that she remembered. "Stop," she told him quickly as she pulled away. She made him move his hands before she was back on his shirt.

Watching as Beckett pulled it apart, Castle couldn't help tease her a little saying, "Want to start now?"

"No," she told him before she helped him get his shirt off. "Deal again," she said before she sat back to put some space between them.

"You know, there's something about you as demanding as this that's really arousing," Castle told her. He saw her then glancing down at his groin and said, "Again, don't want to start?" When all he got was her stare, he laughed slightly saying, "I think I know what we'll be doing shortly."

Picking up her hand Beckett discarded two cards again but realized she was likely going to lose, so she decided quickly what she was going to forfeit before her husband was asking her to show her hand. "Okay," she said simply as she looked at his cards. "No," she said as he went to her fly immediately.

"That first?" Castle asked as she placed his hands around her on the back of her bra. "Okay," he then said quickly as he was feeling the sensation of her silky skin around the fabric. He unhooked it hurriedly, wanting to try and at least touch his wife's breasts, but she was quick to remove her bra herself. "Come on," he said in a groan as she leaned over the bed and tossed the black lace and silk onto their shirts. He watched the way her breasts moved as she did that, and was tense in the way they looked. He then went back to the cards, shuffling the deck as fast as he could. He dealt their hands and got some more cards before he set them down.

"Hmm, too bad," Beckett said as she saw her winning hand. She went over to him then after simply sliding the cards towards him and proceeded to unbuckle his belt. With that on the floor too they played another hand and Castle lost again; to both their surprise.

"What did I do to jinx myself?" he asked rhetorically though he didn't really care as he stood next to the bed and watched her slide over to sit on the edge. Breathing a little hard when Beckett opened his fly he took over for her, pulling off his trousers for her, knowing she was watching him closely. "Now who's a pervert?" he asked her.

"It's still you," Beckett said with a slight smirk. "But I think after all these years you've rubbed off on me." When he paused in getting back on the bed at that she rolled her eyes and said, "Come on, hurry up!"

Startled at her impatient tone, Castle did exactly that and dealt another two hands before he looked at what he'd gotten. Switching a card didn't help in the least and he sighed as he set them down.

"Are you upset you lost so many times tonight?" Beckett asked him in slight concern.

"No, just wanted you naked first," Castle told her.

"Pervert," Beckett said with a smile as she followed him to the edge of the bed. He stood up in front of her, and she pulled his boxers off of his hips before she let him take over. Watching his erection as it revealed to her, she bit her lower lip and said, "Losing isn't too bad."

"No-oo," Castle started to say before he groaned the rest of that out as she grasped him securely in her hand. He took her wrist before she could start moving and made her stand up before he switched places with her. "We need to get you undressed now," he said simply as he pulled her closer to him. He reached down to her fly and opening it he was quick to pull her jeans down as far as he could go, reluctantly letting her go to watch her remove them from herself. He grabbed her hand as soon as the pants were out of the way and he pressed his lips against her mound, kissing it through her panties. "You're so warm love," he told her huskily, glancing up at her.

"I know, hurry," Beckett said, trying to fight back a moan then. She watched him take off the black fabric, getting them off her legs the rest of the way herself before he was wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close. "Since you lost tonight," she told him, straddling him while they wrapped their arms around each other. "You get to choose."

"Really? All night?" Castle asked.

"Not all night," Beckett said, rolling her eyes as she smiled. She brushed her lips against his, anticipating kissing him again, when she suddenly cried out as he picked her up and jumped back on the bed, making them both bounce. "What are you doing?" she said as she was laughing heavily.

"Getting ready," Castle said, grabbing his pillow and tucking it underneath his head. "And I want you to ride me."

Even as she was sitting up on her knees Beckett groaned and said, "Almost every time we go riding you want me to ride you. So are you my other horse?"

"Not really. I'm your husband, but…" Castle started to say before he trailed off as he entered her body then. They both groaned in pleasure at the sensation and he almost forgot what he'd been saying once he was fully within her. "But I want you to know you can ride me too."

"And believe me when I say I will," Beckett said before she started to rock her body back and forth. She started out slowly as she could feel his knees bending behind her and she breathed a little faster as she sped up. But she worked carefully to accelerate, moaning as she spread her legs apart enough to get him in her deeper. Closing her eyes tightly she concentrated on herself until she'd managed to reach her rhythm which was very rough and as fast as she could go. Her eyes soon few open when she felt her husband taking her hands, watching him entwine their fingers. "My reins?" she teased him.

"Yeah," Castle groaned out, not caring she wasn't really expecting an answer. He was focused too much on the way she looked on him, her body undulating in the mixture of the light of the room and the fire. He bucked up against her a little off rhythm as he had been following her up until then and raised their joined hands. When she let go of him, he looked up at her face in surprise before she took his hands and pressed them to her breasts. Groaning again he began to fondle her a little rougher than he liked to do but when she leaned against him he kept on doing it as he was, since she had ways to stop him if she didn't enjoy him doing something, and it wasn't that.

Watching as her husband soon started to stroke at her chest, Beckett was surprised that he wasn't trying to sit up. All the times they'd made love in that position; since Queens; he always sat up at one point or another, to hold her or to take her breasts. So to see him staying down she had to wonder if he really wanted to stick with the whole bit about her riding him. But as he proceeded to flick his fingers over her nipples she lost her train of thought as the sensation sent a shockwave through her body. It traveled through her from head to toe but centered mainly on her sex where she was taking him, still rocking back and forth as she was enjoying the sensation. But at that point she got a sudden idea and she slowed herself down, not surprised when her husband's eyes shot up from her chest to her eyes.

"What are you doing," Castle groaned in a little frustration as he immediately missed the heavy friction that had been going on between them.

"Shh, I'll still take care of you," Beckett said, shaking her hair back over her shoulders as it had ended up in front of them. "Come here."

Shaking his head as she tried to pull him up Castle moved his hands to her back, just under her shoulders. He spanned it with them, wanting to feel as much as he could as he ran them down very slowly. He knew it was affecting his wife as she was shuddering in her movements against him and he swallowed roughly at the sight of her closing her eyes, her face containing an obvious physical reaction to trying to withstand his touch. She slowly began to speed up her pace again and he closed his eyes for a moment when she was where they'd been before. But he forced them back open as he tried not to get too involved in the friction back between them again, telling her, "That's it love… faster… fuck me Kate."

Having a hard time breathing for a second as a response to what he'd said and how he'd said it, Beckett suddenly angled her hips so as she moved back and forth on him her clit was rubbing against his skin. She cried out as the first movement was enough to send an explosion that went through her, especially at her breasts. She couldn't help herself and reached up, fondling herself. Opening her eyes when she felt Castle's hands on hers she slapped them away and said, "Tell me how."

Breathing a little more harshly than he'd been before, Castle said, "Slower love, and I know… y-you like it better if you play with your n… just like that," his eyes on her intently as she did exactly as he told her to do. He moved up inside of her harder than she was going and far faster as he pushed his hands flat on the bed, not apologetic in the least as she nearly screamed his name in response. "Now, just rub them in between your fingers," he said, feeling the fire burning within him; where they were coupled; growing stronger with the way she was reacting to what he was telling her. The situation aroused him more as well and he breathed out hard once as she instead started to roll the taut nubs between her fingers. "Next time…" he started to say before needing to pause to get his breath back. "Next time I'm taking those myself."

"You can take them now, please Rick," Beckett begged him.

"Not yet… not yet," Castle breathed. When she bent down then to kiss him there was a part of him that was surprised she stopped to do that and another part of him that wasn't. He responded to her kiss; glad to get to do that; but he wouldn't move which was her other reason for kissing him. He cupped her face in his hand as she sat back up after they needed to breathe and as he ran his thumb along her lower lip a sharp intake of air joined the sound of their hips slapping hollowly together, along with the bed moving with them. She had taken his digit in her mouth and he could feel her sucking on it carefully. Knowing he couldn't last much longer after that very erotic scene he pulled his hand away and reached down to her clit, making her slow down again.

Beckett was almost ready to climax, but as he started to rub at her swollen nub she moaned softly, trying to keep moving as it would be easy to get off from the sensation. Finally she decided she needed to reach her peak and taking his hand off of her she proceeded to move at the same pace and angle that she'd been in before. She hadn't realized she was so close to the edge until; a few thrusts in; she broke and her back arched after the initial bursts of pleasure from her orgasm exploded into full blown ecstasy as she cried her husband's name, feeling his hands on the small of her back his fingertips digging into her skin slightly. She felt and heard him a few seconds after that and she nearly came a second time, the sensations he added to what was already inside her body nearly making her dizzy. She knew they were moving, rough and hard still, but for how long she never could really tell when she tried to figure it out. Finally they were slowing down, though Castle's final few thrusts weren't a surprise. They made her moan in pleasure while she felt slightly weak from the sensation of that extra friction, relieved when he stopped finally. "Rick," she breathed as he sat up. Where he had the strength to do that she had no idea but she was greatly pleased as he held her tightly in his arms and they kissed.

Taking Beckett's mouth hungrily Castle had her close against him and he wasn't sure he was going to be able to stop as he was enjoying the taste of her lips and mouth greatly. But in the end they had to part and he stared into her eyes before he couldn't resist the temptation, flipping her around onto her back before he was kissing her deeply again, feeling a thrill race through his body when she responded to him immediately; and willingly as they lost themselves a little in one another.

* * *

Watching as he jumped up from the bed, clad in just his pajama pants, Beckett smiled as he studied her in her negligee she'd worn during their trip before he led her over to the small nest of blankets he'd made in front of the fire saying, "Looks like you've gone all out," as he'd moved the coffee table and armchairs.

"Well we haven't done something like this for a while," Castle told her as he helped her sit down. "And don't worry; I'll clean everything up before the girls see this."

"I think it'll be okay if… oh," Beckett said then as she realized what he meant. "Probably a good idea if you do that."

"Thank you," Castle said with a smile as he got the foil off the cork of the champagne bottle that had been chilling in a bucket of ice. He managed to pop the cork and catch it with his hand before he poured the liquor out in two glasses.

Watching how much he gave her in the first one, Beckett protested saying, "You're going to get me drunk."

"I don't think so," Castle said easily before he handed it to her. He quickly sat with his glass next to her and before she could do or say anything he leaned over, kissing her passionately. He cursed the glass in his hand then as he wanted to hold her, but found he could only use one arm. But it didn't make him stop and once they had tangled their tongues together for a while he slowly pulled back from her, studying the expression on her face as he was doing that. "Do you remember," he began as she focused her eyes on him. "The night when we got to the B&B?"

"I do," Beckett said, wondering what he was talking about exactly then, watching as he reached up to stroke her hair.

"After we made love, I was thinking about another reason why I'm so glad to be here still," Castle told her. He then kissed her again, but kept it much simpler than before and when he pulled away he said, "It's because I am so glad to be here to be able to experience what we have."

"Our family?" Beckett asked him with a smile.

"That and us," Castle said, brushing his lips against hers. "This part of our marriage and the emotional part."

"Emotional?" Beckett asked, knowing what he meant, but wanting to hear it.

"I love you Kate," Castle said seriously, staring into her eyes intently. "I adore you."

Smiling at that, Beckett kissed him and murmured against his lips, "I love you too Rick. And I adore you."

"Hey, that's what I say," Castle said jokingly. He smiled as she rolled her eyes and he then said, "To us having this chance for many more years."

"Are you thinking about our next anniversary?" Beckett asked him as she tapped her glass against his.  
"Yeah," Castle said. "Do you remember," he said before they paused to take a sip of their drinks. "Our first anniversary? The origami cranes I made with Julia?"

"I do, and the second with our night on the hammock," Beckett said. "I'm surprised we didn't start making love then."

"We were close," Castle reminded her as he could easily recall their kisses as they'd been watching the sky.

"Very close," Beckett said as he pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arm around his neck as she took another sip of her champagne and said, "And our third anniversary was great too."

"I'm hoping we'll have the chance to do something really good for the fourth," Castle said, thinking.

"Is that why you brought this up again?" Beckett asked with a smile as it wasn't the first time they'd talked about it since they'd been reunited at the resort.

"Yep, plus I want to see if you want to celebrate," Castle told her, drinking as he watched her closely for her reaction.

"Rick," Beckett said warningly before he pushed him as he smirked at her. "I didn't think you'd doubt that."

"I don't, just getting a rise out of you," Castle said.

"And I'm getting a rise out of you I think," Beckett said as she then squirmed on his lap. As he clutched at her and then groaned she smiled and brushed her lips against his a few times. "Hmm," she said as he pressed his hand on the small of her back, holding her tightly against him.

When they'd managed to pull apart from one another Castle said, "I'm going to do something for you at Christmas."

A little startled at the sudden change of subject, Beckett said, "What made you think of that?"

"Us talking about anniversary gifts," Castle said.

"And why will you do something at Christmas?" Beckett asked.

"I'm hoping to make you love me more of course," Castle said in a matter of fact tone of voice. He was expecting her to act in an exasperated manner but when she instead smirked at him he had to let her go as she moved away from him. "Um… sorry?" he asked, trying to see what she wanted to do.

"Oh no, don't apologize, I know what you mean by that, you just want a repeat of tonight," Beckett told him, sipping her champagne.

"Do you not want to experience that side of our love too?" Castle asked as he smiled, knowing she was teasing him.

Pretending to think it over for a moment, Beckett then smiled widely at him and said, "Actually I would. But Rick, you know you don't have to do that to get a night like tonight was."

"I think you mean has been," Castle corrected. He was relieved when she leaned over to him and shared a kiss with him and he tried to make it as deep as possible before she pulled away from him. "What?" he asked, surprised that she all of sudden looked serious.

"Before we sleep… or whatever you want to do here," Beckett said with a slight smile before he smiled at her a little sheepishly. "I need to tell you something I realized I was doing." When he looked at her questioningly she told him, "I was taking you for granted." He started to protest that and she stopped him saying, "I was, because when I thought you were dead… I realized what I had lost and I had stopped thinking how lucky I was to have you. As the father of our girls, my best friend, my husband… my lover. I can't do that again, thinking I will never see you again; love you again."

"I know what you mean," Castle said. When she smiled he realized she understood what he meant and said, "Yeah, I was really glad that I got my memory back after re-experiencing everything we've been through. But you know what Kate? We have so much more to go."

"New memories?" Beckett asked as he took her glass out of her hand and set both of them on the coffee table near them.

"A lot of them, and also, experience the physical and emotional of our love," Castle said, turning back to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him before he kissed her, and deeply. He felt her responding to him immediately and groaned in pleasure as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, finding hers meeting him the second he was there.

Laying back together on the small nest of blankets as their kiss turned into more, Castle and Beckett began to undress though since they weren't wearing much it didn't take long. Very slowly and carefully, Castle entered his wife and Beckett cried out in pleasure at the feel of him while he groaned at the sensation of their bodies coming together. As they proceeded to make love they could feel their pleasure in each other and it made them even more determined to take joy in what they had after what they'd been through. With them nearly losing one another and admitting to themselves and each other how deep their love was exactly they were resolute on never forgetting what they had. And as they continued to make love together they didn't think they could as their passion consumed them and they let it happen willingly as they were hard pressed to resist what they were feeling as one.


End file.
